Zelensky: Putin set to mobilize hundreds of thousands more Russians

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky believes his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin is prepared to escalate the war in Ukraine.

A fresh mass mobilization of Russian men could be intended to put pressure on Europe, Zelensky said in an interview with Ukrainian broadcasters on Saturday.

A covert call-up of hundreds of thousands of Russians for military service could be intended not only for the war in Ukraine, but also to exert psychological pressure on European countries.

"Why? To show that I will mobilize half a million people in the autumn. And I will not necessarily deploy this half a million solely in Ukraine," Zelensky explained.

Putin continues to show no willingness to end the war on fair terms, the Ukrainian leader argued. "Instead, he is trying to achieve at least symbolic successes with which he could justify the enormous losses to his own people."

Following intensified Ukrainian drone attacks on targets deep within the Russian hinterland, the Russian military has set up three air defence rings near Moscow.

"On top of their air force, on top of everything else they have," said Zelensky. "Essentially, they are protecting everything they use to attack us, knowing full well that we will repay them in kind."

To create the shield, the Russian military had to "pull together all their air defense systems from every corner of their vast territory," he explained.