Zelensky: Russia Losing More Soldiers Than It Recruits, Preparing to Expand Mobilization
Ukrainian president in his nightly address released data on Russian losses and warned of the arrival of new North Korean forces.
Ukrainian president in his nightly address released data on Russian losses and warned of the arrival of new North Korean forces.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky stated on Saturday, July 25, 2026, that Vladimir Putin is preparing to expand military mobilization because Russian losses in the war have exceeded the number of newly recruited soldiers. According to Zelensky, Russia recruited 221,000 new soldiers in less than seven months this year, but in the same period it lost nearly 225,500, including 131,000 killed and nearly 93,000 wounded.
Zelensky presented this data in his regular nightly video address, noting that Putin's plans for autumn indicate an intention to send even more Russians to war.
"We have extensive intelligence reports on Putin's plans for autumn. Putin is preparing conditions for expanding mobilization. His casualty figures speak for themselves,"Zelensky said on platform X (formerly Twitter). He added that a significant portion of Russian wounded are severely injured and that medical care on the front line in Russia is, in his words, "catastrophically poor."
In addition to the mobilization data, Zelensky warned that Russia plans to bring in an additional 30,000 North Korean soldiers. According to him, preparations for their reception have been underway in Russia's Voronezh Oblast since June 2026. This is not the first time Pyongyang has sent soldiers to war: under a mutual defense pact signed by the two countries, North Korea deployed about 14,000 soldiers to Russia's Kursk Oblast in 2024 to help Moscow defend against a major incursion by Ukrainian forces.
"We also see Russia's cooperation with North Korea. Russia wants to bring another 30,000 North Korean soldiers. Preparations have been ongoing in Russia's Voronezh Oblast since June for their reception," Zelensky said. In addition to soldiers, he warned that North Korea is preparing to deliver new ballistic missile launchers to Russia.
Zelensky emphasized that Russian-North Korean cooperation is not only a threat to Ukraine but also to the wider region. "Russia is helping North Korea learn how to wage war, improve its weapons, and gain real combat experience in their use. All of this is a threat to everyone in Asia within range of North Korean missiles," he warned. Zelensky also promised that Ukraine would respond to this threat.
In the same nightly address, Zelensky also made allegations about Russian satellite support for Iran. According to him, since the beginning of July 2026, Ukraine has recorded active Russian satellite surveillance of U.S. military facilities in the Persian Gulf states, and these images then end up in Iran. Zelensky stated that on July 19 and 20, 2026 alone, four airbases were in the focus of Russian satellites: two in Bahrain, one in Jordan, and one in Kuwait. "There is a clear correlation between Russian satellite imagery of these sites and Iranian attacks, both before attacks, in preparation for them, and after, to assess damage," he said, calling on the international community to pressure Russia.
Russia and Moscow did not respond to Zelensky's claims at the time of publication. All the mentioned data on Russian losses and military movements come exclusively from Ukrainian sources and have not been independently confirmed.
