Fears are growing in Russia that, once parliamentary elections are over, the Kremlin could announce a new large-scale mobilisation to replenish the army fighting against Ukraine.
This is reported by Bloomberg, citing documents and sources familiar with the situation.
According to the agency, even some Kremlin officials and staff at military enlistment offices share these concerns. In recent months, some of them have reportedly been trying to open accounts in foreign banks, move assets abroad, and have also been advising friends and relatives to leave Russia.
At the same time, Russian dictator Vladimir Putin denies that a new mobilisation is being prepared. However, a European security official told Bloomberg that Russia is preparing to mobilise a further roughly 300,000 men by the end of the year.
Documents reviewed by the agency also indicate that some Russian officials feared that a 15% reduction in regional staffing as part of budget cuts could result in dismissed employees being sent to the front.
Rumours of a possible mobilisation are heightening anxiety among the Russian population. According to Bloomberg, in the run-up to the elections the number of Russians leaving for neighbouring countries, including Georgia and Armenia, has increased.
Unlike the partial mobilisation in September 2022, a new call-up could take place without a separate public announcement of mobilisation.
This is linked to the operation of the digital Unified Military Registration Register. It is connected to the databases of the tax service, the police, medical data, property registers and border control systems.
Bloomberg notes, however, that fears of a new mobilisation do not mean a decision to carry it out has already been made.
According to calculations by Bloomberg analyst Alex Kokcharov, since the start of 2026 the Russian army has been losing an average of about 33,000 killed and wounded each month, while advancing by an average of only 104 square kilometres of Ukrainian territory.
In his assessment, from May to August 2026 Russian forces seized about 155 square kilometres of Ukraine’s territory. By comparison, over the same period last year the figure was 2,037 square kilometres.
- Since 18 September, Russia has been holding elections to the State Duma. Those taking part include representatives of the occupation administrations and former members of illegal armed formations.
- Ukraine’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs called Russia’s “elections” in the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine “a farce by the occupying state”. Ukraine recognises neither the holding of these illegal “elections” nor their results.