Putin says Russia will not have another wave of mobilization, echoing promises made before first wave

During his combined press conference and call-in show on Thursday, Vladimir Putin said that Russia will not have another round of mobilization.

“Why would we have mobilization? There’s no need,” the president told viewers.

According to Putin, there are currently 244,000 Russian troops in Ukraine, and 486,000 volunteers have signed contracts with the Defense Ministry.

The Russian authorities announced “partial mobilization” in September 2022, after repeated assurances from officials that there would be no draft.