Kremlin Lays Ground for Mobilisation, War Institute Says
Russia is preparing the ground for a fresh wave of mobilisation and bracing for possible domestic unrest, the Institute for the Study of War has assessed, even as President Putin plays down a worsening fuel-shortage crisis. The Washington think tank said the Kremlin was setting the political conditions to call up more troops, a sign Moscow expects a long war despite renewed diplomatic contacts. Ukraine, meanwhile, has continued a shake-up of its military command.
The institute reported that Russia launched far fewer drones in July than in June — roughly 2,955 against 5,749 — as Ukrainian strikes on refineries and depots bit into its war economy. Kyiv’s reshuffle, after this week’s dismissal of its commander-in-chief, has extended to the general staff. The assessment came a day after the American and Russian foreign ministers met in Manila without a breakthrough. With both capitals dug in, the war shows no sign of a negotiated end. Watch whether Moscow formalises a new mobilisation drive over the summer.