Zelensky: Russia preparing additional mobilisation to offset heavy losses in Ukraine

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky warned on Wednesday that Russia is preparing a new wave of mobilisation to compensate for significant troop losses in Ukraine. The announcement came on day 1,554 of Russia's full-scale invasion. Meanwhile, a new Russian law now permits major banks to arm themselves against Ukrainian drone attacks.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky stated on Wednesday, 27 May, that Russia is actively preparing an additional mobilisation effort to replace soldiers lost during the ongoing full-scale war in Ukraine, now in its 1,554th day.

Zelensky's warning signals that Russian battlefield casualties have reached a scale requiring fresh recruitment efforts to sustain offensive operations. Ukrainian officials have previously cited tens of thousands of Russian casualties, though independent verification of precise figures remains difficult.

Russia arms its banks against drones

In a striking domestic development, Russia has enacted new legislation permitting large banks to equip themselves with weapons systems capable of defending against Ukrainian drone strikes. The move reflects growing concern inside Russia about the reach of Ukrainian unmanned aerial vehicles, which have increasingly targeted infrastructure and financial centres deep within Russian territory.

The law marks an unusual step in which civilian financial institutions are being drawn into active defence roles — an acknowledgement that the threat from drone attacks has moved beyond front-line military concerns and now affects Russian economic infrastructure.

War enters 1,554th day

As the conflict grinds into yet another day, the pattern of attritional warfare continues to shape both sides' strategic calculations. Russia's need to mobilise additional forces underscores the difficulty of sustaining offensive momentum amid persistent Ukrainian resistance and Western military support for Kyiv.