Macron says Russia shows signs of preparing new mobilization after elections
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French President Emmanuel Macron warned that Russia appears to be gearing up for another round of conscription, possibly targeting 300,000 troops in each of 2026 and 2027, following the recent presidential election.
French President Emmanuel Macron told TF1 and France 2 on Sept. 24 that Russia is displaying "several signs" of preparing a new mobilization wave after its elections. He said intelligence reports from European and American agencies, as well as Ukrainian sources, support the view that Moscow is planning to call up around 300,000 men, a figure also cited by Ukraine's presidential office.
"There have indeed been several reports shared by European and American intelligence services, as well as by our Ukrainian friends," Macron said. He added that the Kremlin had waited for the election to take place before moving forward, and that it may announce the mobilization publicly or implement it without a formal declaration. Macron described the scenario of mobilizing 300,000 soldiers in each of the next two years as "plausible" and suggested the move signals Russia's willingness to intensify its efforts to capture the entire Donbas region. "The signal Russia is sending today is that we are prepared to make even greater sacrifices in order to seize the entire Donbas," he said. Ukraine's presidential office had earlier warned that Russia could aim to mobilize 600,000 people across 2026 and 2027, reflecting growing domestic discontent with the war and a decline in voluntary enlistments. Russia has only used forced mobilization once, in fall 2022, after Ukrainian counteroffensives pressured its defenses, an action that triggered a mass exodus of Russians seeking to avoid conscription. Since then, President Vladimir Putin has preferred recruitment bonuses for contract soldiers, leaving regional authorities to meet recruitment quotas. The French leader's comments come amid ongoing concerns in Europe about Russia's military manpower and its potential impact on the conflict in Ukraine.