In the Russian Federation, readiness for a new wave of mobilization is being tested - WSJ

Russian servicemen are conducting readiness checks in various regions of the country for a possible new wave of mobilization. The Kremlin has not yet made a decision on a mass draft, but the military is already practicing procedures for receiving, housing, and equipping a large number of people.

This is reported by The Wall Street Journal citing Western intelligence officials.

One of these checks was held in July in the Kaliningrad region. According to the publication, Russian military officers from St. Petersburg arrived there to oversee preparations for a possible mobilization of local residents. In particular, they practiced how to accommodate, provide food, and arm the mobilized.

WSJ interlocutors state that similar measures are being conducted in other regions of Russia in case the Kremlin decides to start a new wave of mobilization.

According to them, no final decision has been made yet. Western officials assume that Moscow is unlikely to take such a step before the parliamentary elections in the RF at the end of September.

One of the reasons that could push the Kremlin to mobilize, WSJ names problems with replenishing the Russian army. In recent months, the recruitment of new servicemen does not compensate for losses killed and wounded, while Russia continues offensive operations aiming to capture the rest of the Donetsk region.

However, a new mobilization may differ from the 2022 campaign. In recent years, Russian authorities have created a centralized database of conscription-liable persons and introduced electronic notification mechanisms. This allows increasing the draft gradually, in small batches, without announcing a simultaneous mass recruitment across the country.

A large-scale mobilization would also place additional strain on the Russian economy. It is not only about expenses on maintenance, provision, and payments to new servicemen, but also about withdrawing additional workers from the labor market, which already experiences personnel shortage.

The last mass mobilization in Russia was announced in September 2022. It led to the departure of hundreds of thousands of men from the country and a sharp increase in the flow of people at borders with neighboring states.

Based on materials from: The Wall Street Journal