Russian President Vladimir Putin has reiterated that there is no need for mobilization in Russia and reported a large number of deserters in the Ukrainian army, according to infohub.kz.
Speaking at the plenary session of the Eastern Economic Forum (EEF), Putin stressed that currently there is no scenario that would require mobilization. "There is no such scenario today that would require mobilization. This is an information attack by the adversary ahead of the State Duma elections, with an attempt to influence the results. This is simply a planned information operation," he said.
The Russian leader noted that military personnel in Russia serve voluntarily, signing contracts. He added that in Ukraine, unlike in Russia, people are "forcibly sent to the front," resulting in a "large number of deserters." "From the standpoint of available military personnel, we have no problems here," Putin emphasized.
It is worth recalling that the day before, Vladimir Putin had already denied rumors of a possible new wave of mobilization after the State Duma elections.