---
title: "“Leave while it’s not too late”: Ukraine’s UN permanent representative addresses Russians over impending mobilization"
description: "Ukraine’s UN permanent representative Andriy Melnyk addressed Russians, warning of a probable mobilization of up to 500,000 people after September 20 and urging them to leave the Russian Federation. Moscow denies these plans."
date: 2026-08-25T00:44:00.000Z
lang: en
url: https://xab.info/en/posts/melnyk-un-address-to-russians-over-mobilization
tags: [ukraine, un, russia, mobilization, melnyk, security-council]
publisher: "XAB.info"
---

# “Leave while it’s not too late”: Ukraine’s UN permanent representative addresses Russians over impending mobilization

![Priest blesses mobilized Russian soldiers with rifles using holy water at a parade](https://xab.info/media/2026/08/25/melnyk-oon-obrashchenie-k-rossiyanam-mobilizatsiya/melnyk-oon-obrashchenie-k-rossiyanam-mobilizatsiya-1.webp)

## 🎯 Key Points

- Andriy Melnyk, at a UN Security Council meeting, addressed Russian citizens in Russian and called on them to leave the country.
- In his words, after September 20, forced mobilization of up to 500,000 people is expected in the Russian Federation.
- Russia’s permanent representative Vasiliy Nebenzia denies mobilization plans; Melnyk compared this to the denials before the invasion.
- Russian media report a “hidden mobilization” and coercion into contracts in 17 regions.

At a Security Council meeting, Ukraine’s permanent representative Andriy Melnyk delivered an address directed straight at Russian citizens. According to RBC-Ukraine, citing the Security Council’s broadcast, the diplomat switched to Russian during his speech, addressing “Russian husbands, wives, and mothers,” and warned of a new wave of mobilization that, he said, is being prepared in the Russian Federation. The central message of his appeal was a call to leave the country “while it’s not too late” — before, in Kyiv’s assessment, forced conscription for the front begins.

### Forecast: up to 500,000 people “one way”

Melnyk linked the expected mobilization to the conclusion of so-called elections to the Russian State Duma. In his words, after September 20, when, as he put it, “dictator” Vladimir Putin will have the corresponding political pretext, forced mobilization will begin in Russia. The diplomat named a specific figure — up to 500,000 people, who, he claimed, are planned to be sent “to Ukrainian soil one way.” In summary, Melnyk stated that Russians should leave the country while there is still such an opportunity, and added that fuel supplies in the Russian Federation may run into problems.

### Contradictory data

Kyiv’s statements directly contradict Moscow’s position. Just days ago, Russia’s permanent representative to the UN, Vasiliy Nebenzia, publicly assured that any mobilization in Russia is not planned. Melnyk, in turn, compared these denials to the rhetoric of the war’s outset, when the Russian Federation also declared that an invasion was not on the agenda. Thus, one side asserts that a mass conscription is being prepared, while the other categorically denies the very fact of mobilization preparations; as of publication, there is no independent confirmation of the specific figures (including the 500,000 estimate).

### “Hidden mobilization” per Russian media data

Beyond the diplomatic statements, data from Russian media on so-called “hidden mobilization” is cited as context. It is reported that forcible detentions and coercion into signing contracts with the Ministry of Defense have already been recorded in 17 regions of Russia. These reports, according to the outlet’s assessment, are used to illustrate that the processes Moscow officially denies may be unfolding on the ground.

### The war’s “boomerang” and a call to the UN

During the same speech, Melnyk reportedly quoted a Soviet cartoon, reminding Russians of the war’s “boomerang” — a metaphor that the consequences of a conflict return to its initiators. Earlier, the diplomat also called for excluding Russian military from participation in UN peacekeeping missions, demanding that Russia be stripped of the corresponding rights within the organization. The address to Russian citizens against the backdrop of a probable mobilization became part of this broader line of Ukraine’s public diplomacy in the Security Council.

## 🔍 Fact-Check Verification

- [Putin will send them one way. Ukraine addresses Russians at the UN over possible mobilization](https://www.rbc.ua/ukr/news/putin-vidpravit-odin-kinets-ukrayina-oon-1787618504.html) - Подтверждает обращение Мельника, цифру 500 тыс., дату 20 сентября и призыв уехать.
- [Ukraine addresses Russians at the UN over mobilization](https://korrespondent.net/ukraine/4905839-ukrayna-v-oon-obratylas-k-rossyianam-po-povodu-mobylyzatsyy) - Подтверждает факт обращения Украины в ООН по теме мобилизации.
- [Melnyk quotes a Soviet cartoon at the UN, reminding Russians of the war’s “boomerang.” Video](https://www.obozrevatel.com/politics-news/melnik-protsitiroval-v-oon-sovetskij-multik-napomniv-rossiyanam-o-bumerange-vojnyi-video.htm) - Подтверждает метафору «бумеранга» и цитату из мультфильма в выступлении.
- [Melnyk calls for excluding Russian military from participation in UN peacekeeping missions](https://www.unian.net/politics/oon-melnik-prizval-lishit-rossiyu-prava-uchastvovat-v-missiyah-organizacii-13406397.html) - Подтверждает призыв к отстранению российских военных от миротворческих миссий ООН.

## ❓ FAQ

### Q: Who did Melnyk address at the UN, and in what language?
**A:** He spoke in Russian, addressing “Russian husbands, wives, and mothers,” and called on them to leave Russia.

### Q: How many people, according to Kyiv’s estimate, could be mobilized in the Russian Federation?
**A:** Melnyk named a figure of up to 500,000 people, who, he said, are planned to be sent “one way.”

### Q: Does Russia confirm the mobilization plans?
**A:** No. Russia’s permanent representative Vasiliy Nebenzia assured that mobilization is not planned; Melnyk compared this to the denials before the war began.