President Volodymyr Zelensky said that Russia is preparing an additional mobilization drive and called it proof that Moscow is not preparing for real diplomacy.
In a Telegram post on Wednesday, May 27, he said Ukraine has received growing intelligence that Russia’s political leadership has ordered an expansion of its forces by “at least tens of thousands” of additional troops.
“We consider these Russian steps confirmation that Moscow is not preparing for real diplomacy, and we will pass on the available data to our partners. Russia must end its war, and the world has leverage. We work at all levels to protect Ukraine and push Russia to diplomacy,” Zelensky added.
According to him, Russian authorities have stepped up the issuance of so-called mobilization orders specifically to meet new targets, driven above all by what he described as “especially high” Russian losses on occupied Ukrainian territory.
Zelensky echoed reporting by The Moscow Times, which revealed a rise in searches related to “mobilization orders,” with Google Trends showing increased interest from late March.
According to the report, Yandex searches rose from fewer than 10,000 in January to around 40,000 in April.
A mobilization order is a document attached to a military ID that sets out reporting procedures in the event of nationwide mobilization.
It does not indicate immediate deployment but places a person in a reserve pool.
Russian anti-conscription groups say enlistment offices have summoned reservists under the pretext of “updating military records,” with some individuals allegedly pressured to accept mobilization orders or sign contracts once inside.
European officials have warned separately that Russia may seek to expand the conflict beyond Ukrainian territory to justify another mobilization wave and potentially pressure NATO.
Front line briefing
The address followed a detailed defense meeting with Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Oleksandr Syrsky and Chief of the General Staff Andriy Hnatov. Both briefed Zelensky on the situation and options across the Kharkiv region, primarily the Kupiansk axis, as well as the Donetsk region, the Zaporizhzhia axis, and southern Ukraine.
Zelensky singled out the 79th Separate Air Assault Tavriia Brigade, the 1st Assault Regiment, and the 425th Separate Assault Regiment for their battlefield results.