Russia set to draft another 300K citizens into army ranks - media

The Russian Ministry of Defense is eyeing another wave of mass recruitment into the army and is preparing for a covert mobilization, likely in a bid to take under siege the city of Kharkiv in eastern Ukraine.

That’s according to Russia’s Verstka outlet, referring to sources in the presidential administration reported, regional authorities, and a high-ranking defense official.

According to the publication, the plan is to besiege Kharkiv, the largest city in eastern Ukraine.

The forces currently covering the Russian border near Belgorod and Kursk are reportedly intended to be deployed to this end, to be replaced by reservists and conscripts who are set to be released from service in less than a month. The latter will be "coaxed by all means" into signing a contract with the army.

Journalists note this is due to the fact that the pace of volunteer recruitment has dropped dramatically in Russia.

The publication also reports that "the matter may not be limited to a single draft of reservists and former conscripts."

As Ukrinform reported in mid-January, citing Ukraine’s defense intelligence, the Kremlin may launch a new wave of military mobilization after the staged presidential election in March.

This is an illustrative photo