Russian Defense Ministry Pressures Putin for New Mobilization Amid Battlefield Losses, Reports WSJ

The leadership of the Russian Ministry of Defense is persistently urging Russian leader Vladimir Putin to declare a new wave of mobilization to address Russia’s losses on the battlefield in Ukraine.

This was reported by The Wall Street Journal citing a source in Moscow.

WSJ notes that the Russian Ministry of Defense, led by its new Minister, Andrey Belousov, is facing manpower shortages which is hindering Russia's ability to launch a major counter-offensive in the Kursk region.

"More and more people are saying mobilization is inevitable," said one of the WSJ sources.

WSJ observes that the pressure for a new wave of mobilization is intensifying as the number of killed and wounded in the war in Ukraine has approached approximately one million.

"Russia’s problems are becoming more acute. With Moscow’s troops heavily engaged in capturing the eastern Ukrainian city of Pokrovsk, Russia has turned to young and inexperienced conscripts and pulled troops from other parts of the front line in Ukraine to defend Russian territory," the WSJ writes. 

The newspaper notes that the Kremlin is concerned that another mobilization could disrupt the public's perception of the war, potentially creating political risks for Putin.