Putin wants to mobilise half a million more Russians - The Times

Putin intends to mobilise half a million more Russians and send them to the front by April, The Times says. Citing Western intelligence sources, the newspaper says that the decision will be taken in a few weeks - the Kremlin is relying on closed polls which allegedly show that Russians "do not want to accept defeat in the war".

The paper says: "Regional military registration and enlistment offices are now actively preparing for a new wave of mobilization. The weather will stabilize in the spring, and Russia is planning to launch an offensive then.

It should be noted that Ukrainian intelligence also voiced the same figures. In particular, the deputy head of the Main Directorate of Intelligence (GUR) of the Ukrainian Defence Ministry, Vadym Skibitskyy, said that the new mobilized men will be involved in a number of Russian offensive operations which may take place in the east and south of Ukraine in spring and summer 2023:

They will lead the offensive in Donetsk, Kharkiv and possibly Zaporizhzhya regions, while defending in Kherson and Crimea. That many people will be needed for them to carry out the tasks

According to his assessment, if the Russian army does not succeed within the next six to eight months, Russian President Vladimir Putin will finally fail.