Russia may launch new mobilization, sending even more troops «to the meat grinder» — Budanov

Russia may announce a new mobilization, and unfortunately, this is a real threat.

Chief of the Defence Intelligence of Ukraine, Kyrylo Budanov said this in an interview with Apostrof.

“In 2022, the Russian Federation carried out a partial mobilization. That’s a fact, everyone knows about it. After that, it did everything possible, no matter the cost, to avoid carrying out mobilization… Can the Russian Federation carry out a new mobilization? It can, unfortunately, it is a serious threat. It will be painful for the Russian Federation, but it is realistic. And unfortunately, such a threat exists,” the chief of Defence Intelligence said.

Answering the question of whether Russians could really drive large numbers of conscripts into the war, Budanov said that conscripts make no sense.

“If they (conscripts — ed.) go down the path of mobilization, they will be able to sharply increase the numbers and simply throw even more of them into the meat grinder than they are doing now. Although even now there is a lot of this,” he noted.

Answering the question of whether some anti-war sentiments are possible in Russia in connection with a new mobilization, Budanov said that this is laughable.

“There is nothing at all in Russia. Look, sentiments — if mobilization begins, negative moods in society, those tendencies, they will be there. And that is what they saw when they did it in 2022, and immediately tried to stop it as quickly as possible. But will this, let’s say, stop the Russian machine? No, it will not stop it,” the chief of Defence Intelligence explained.