Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov accused Ukrainian authorities of trying to "ideologically destabilize the situation" in Russia by spreading reports about a possible new Russian mobilization, in an interview with Russian media outlet RTVI on Aug. 25.
Peskov was responding to questions about the Kremlin's view on another Russian mobilization announcement and whether such a scenario is being considered.
"All of this is being planted by the Ukrainian authorities," Peskov said, adding that "these are all fabricated stories that are deliberately being planted in the information space."
Speculation about another Russian mobilization has intensified in recent months as Russia’s battlefield gains slow and its voluntary recruitment system struggles to compensate for mounting losses.
President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Aug. 23 that Russia plans to mobilize around 300,000 people after State Duma elections in September, largely avoiding major cities to limit public backlash. He described the plan as "peripheral mobilization."
Russia has repeatedly denied plans for mobilization, both now and in 2022. On Sept. 13, 2022, Peskov said that neither full nor partial mobilization was "on the agenda." Eight days later, Putin announced a partial mobilization, calling up around 300,000 reservists.
The move sparked protests and prompted hundreds of thousands of Russians to flee the country, while Putin’s approval ratings declined. Since then, Russia has largely relied on contract soldiers to...
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