President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy has stated that Russia has effectively already launched an additional covert mobilization, increasing the number of people recruited into the army through various methods. According to the head of state, these conclusions follow a detailed report by the Main Directorate of Intelligence (HUR) of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine regarding the Kremlin's further military plans.
Intelligence data on recruitment scale
The head of state emphasized that the Russian side is not only scaling up domestic conscription using diverse administrative and coercive tools, but also plans to increasingly involve foreign mercenaries. The Ukrainian leadership stressed the importance of governments from whose countries Russia recruits soldiers countering these actions, and promised to inform each of them.
North Korean military contingent
Particular attention in the intelligence report was paid to the involvement of foreign military personnel. According to the Ukrainian side, more than 8,000 military personnel from North Korea are currently stationed on Russian territory. Additionally, preparations are underway to deploy an additional contingent of another 10,000 troops, who are being selected for training and subsequent deployment to the combat zone.
Expert assessments and mobilization orders
Earlier reports indicated that Russians have begun receiving mobilization orders at military enlistment offices, allowing the aggressor state to promptly summon hundreds of thousands of men to assembly points. Furthermore, Commander of Unmanned Systems Forces Robert "Madyar" Brovdi stated that Russia plans to mobilize 300,000 people by the end of the year, with recruits reportedly being sent to war without proper training.
