Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has warned that Russia could mobilize up to 300,000 additional troops by the end of the year as Moscow seeks to expand its control over eastern Ukraine.
Zelensky said he expects Russian forces to end the year controlling roughly the same amount of Ukrainian territory as they did at the beginning of the year, despite suffering heavy casualties.
“Russia has lost 267,000 troops since the beginning of the year, including around 155,000 killed so far,” Zelensky said.
The Ukrainian president said another Russian mobilization could take place after Russia’s next parliamentary elections. He suggested Moscow could again avoid mobilizing heavily in major cities in an effort to reduce the risk of widespread public protests.
According to Zelensky, Russian President Vladimir Putin’s main objective remains capturing the entire Donetsk region by the end of the year. Ukrainian forces continue to hold around 20% of the region, defending strategically important cities including Sloviansk and Kramatorsk.
Zelensky said Putin could “deploy 300,000 newly mobilized troops depending on the situation in the east of the country.”
Beyond the eastern front, Zelensky did not rule out a potential Russian offensive in the northern Kharkiv and Sumy regions, saying Russian military equipment has already been observed gathering along the border.
Ukraine faces air defense shortage
Ukraine is also facing a severe shortage of air defense systems, which remain critical for protecting civilians and infrastructure from Russian ballistic missile attacks.
Zelensky pointed to a sharp decline in deliveries of U.S.-made Patriot missiles, from 675 units last year to just 264 planned for this year.
He said Kyiv would be prepared to pay for as much as 10% of the U.S. Patriot supply, arguing that even such a share could make a significant difference in saving lives.
Ukraine faces a similar challenge with European Aster missiles, whose production capacity does not currently meet Kyiv’s needs.
Zelensky said Ukraine has proposed licensing agreements that would allow the missiles to be delivered more quickly or produced domestically.
The warnings come as Russia continues to maintain pressure along the front while Ukraine seeks additional manpower, air defense systems and ammunition from its Western allies.
