Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has warned that Russia could mobilise at least 300,000 additional troops later this year as Moscow seeks to capture the remaining Ukrainian-held areas of Donetsk.
Zelensky said he expects the mobilisation to take place after Russia’s parliamentary elections next month, although he predicted that the recruitment would likely avoid major cities.
According to Zelensky, Russian forces have lost about 267,000 personnel since the beginning of the year, including approximately 155,000 killed. The figures could not be independently verified.
He claimed Russian President Vladimir Putin wants his forces to complete the occupation of Donetsk by the end of the year and could deploy the newly mobilised troops to the eastern front.
Zelensky also warned that Russia could launch incursions into the northern regions of Kharkiv and Sumy, while Ukrainian forces continue defending strategic towns in Donetsk, including Sloviansk and Kramatorsk.
On air defence, Zelensky said Ukraine faces a shortage of Patriot and European Aster missiles, which are critical for defending against Russian ballistic missile attacks. He urged the United States to provide up to 10% of its Patriot missile stocks, saying Ukraine would pay for the systems.
Zelensky also said Ukraine was seeking permission to use Starlink satellite imagery of Russian territory. He said Elon Musk had expressed concerns that such a move could escalate the conflict.
On peace negotiations, Zelensky said discussions with US envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner were continuing, but that Russia had yet to accept terms that would end the war without Ukraine making what Kyiv considers unacceptable territorial concessions.
