Macron sounds the alarm on Russia: president says Moscow preparing to mobilize 300,000 more troops

French President Emmanuel Macron has declared that there are recently some signals that Russia is preparing to mobilize 300,000 new troops for the war in Ukraine, describing it as a post-election mobilization. Asked about the prospect of another round of Russian mobilization, Macron said the information had come from intelligence services and that it is clear Russia will take this step.

“There have been several reports shared by European and American intelligence services, as well as by our Ukrainian friends. The elections have been held. Now it is clear that Russia will do this. The question is whether it will announce it publicly or carry it out without an official announcement,” the French president said.

Macron called the signals that Russia was preparing to mobilize another 300,000 soldiers “credible,” claiming there had been “several signs that Russia is organizing for this.” “And indeed, the credible scenario often discussed today revolves around the figure of 300,000 people. The signal Russia is sending is that it is ready for even greater sacrifices to take control of the entire Donbas,” Macron said.

His comments came after Ukraine’s Presidential Office warned in August that Russia may be preparing to call up 600,000 people during 2026 and 2027, amid growing public dissatisfaction with the war and a decline in the number of people willing to enlist voluntarily.

Meanwhile, Ukraine has again been hit by a wide wave of Russian airstrikes. During the night and morning of Friday, Russian drones and missiles struck several regions of the country, with the heaviest consequences in Kyiv, Odesa and Zaporizhzhia, killing 7 people, including a 14-year-old. As a result of the attacks, Ukraine’s largest steel producer was also hit this Friday, forcing it to shut down operations. The closure is another blow to Ukraine’s once-powerful steel sector, which previously accounted for 15% of the country’s exports but has been under pressure from Russian attacks and restrictions from the EU, its main trade partner.