Ukraine War, Day 1,614: Zelensky – Putin Preparing to Expand Russia’s Mobilization

Vladimir Putin and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov (Reuters)

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In his nightly address to the nation, Zelensky noted that Russian casualties now exceed the call-up of personnel. During 2026, Russia has lost almost 225,500 men — 131,000 killed and almost 93,000 wounded — as 221,000 joined the Russian Armed Forces.

Ukraine’s General Staff says the Kremlin has lost 1,419,090 personnel during its invasion. The pace of the losses has increased amid increasing Ukrainian effectiveness, particularly with drones, and the unending Russian assault on the Donetsk region in eastern Ukraine.

Zelensky asserted:

Putin is preparing to simply send more Russians to war. He disguises it with different words and signals, but that is what he is preparing to do. It is crucial that, together with our partners, we exert enough pressure on Russia so that the idea of ending this aggression becomes the dominant one – the idea of peace, not of another Russian mobilization.

The President warned, “Russia wants to receive another 30,000 troops from North Korea. Since June, preparations have been underway in Russia’s Voronezh region to receive them.”

In autumn 2024, North Korea despatched around 12,000 men to Russia as the Kremlin faced Ukraine’s cross-border incursion into the Kerch region.

We have comprehensive intelligence reports on Russia’s plans for the fall. Putin is preparing the conditions for expanding mobilization. His casualty figures speak for themselves. In less than seven months this year, 221,000 people have joined the ranks of the Russian Armed… pic.twitter.com/VnMpIX0xV3

— Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) July 25, 2026