President Vladimir Putin has stated that additional mobilization of troops to fight in Ukraine is currently unnecessary. However, he added that any future mobilization will depend on Russia’s goals in Ukraine.
During a televised meeting with Russian war correspondents and military bloggers, Putin stated “There is no such need today” when asked about another mobilization. Last year, Russia called up around 300,000 reservists which Putin referred to as a “partial mobilization.” He stated that the need for more troops will depend on their goals.
When questioned about returning to Kyiv, which Russian troops failed to capture in the early stages of the special military operation in Ukraine, Putin said everything depends on Russia’s goals in the region.
Putin also mentioned that Russia needs to improve its defences against attacks inside its borders, but there is no requirement to declare martial law. He also noted that Russia needs to fight against enemy agents.
According to Putin, Ukraine’s large-scale counter-offensive which began on June 4th, has not been successful in any area, and Ukraine is suffering huge losses. Kyiv’s casualties are ten times higher than that of Moscow’s. Putin stated that Ukraine has lost over 160 of its tanks and 25-30% of the vehicles it received from abroad, while Russia lost 54 tanks.
Putin declined to comment whether Moscow would launch a new offensive in response to Kyiv’s counteroffensive, saying that it will depend on Russia’s military capacity.
Regarding weaponry, Putin stated that Russia’s arms quality is improving, but it lacks high-precision ammunition and drones. Putin stated that many things were lacking during the course of the special military operation, such as high-precision ammunition, communication equipment, drones, etc. He mentioned that Russia had increased its production of essential weapons 2.7 times over the past year. Putin accused the West of rushing weapons to Ukraine and stated that the only way to stop the conflict is to stop arms supplies to Kyiv
The US announced a new $325m military aid package for Ukraine that will include ammunition, air defense systems, and vehicles. Putin accused the West of seeking to defeat Russia in Ukraine and said that Moscow has its peace plan.
Putin mulls leaving Black Sea grain deal
Putin said that Russia is considering exiting the Black Sea grain deal which allowed Ukrainian grain to reach the global market. He stated that Moscow was “cheated” over the implementation of the agreement that pertained to its exports. Putin stated that the deal was meant to help friendly countries in Africa and Latin America, but Europe is the significant importer of Ukrainian grain and it provides a key source of foreign currency to Kyiv. Putin accused Kyiv of using sea corridors that are supposed to be safe to launch maritime drones. He stated that he would discuss the future of the deal with African leaders who were supposed to visit Russia. Putin also said that Russia is ready to provide grain for free to the world’s poorest countries. The United Nations and Turkey brokered the deal last July, allowing several Ukrainian ports on the Black Sea to export grain safely. The West has not imposed sanctions on Russian grain, but they are hampered by other restrictions on insurance and other areas.