# Zelensky Says Russia Preparing to Mobilize 300,000 More Troops as Kremlin Claims Victory Is ‘Very Close’

*Tuesday, September 8, 2026 at 10:07 AM UTC — Hamer Intelligence Services Desk*

**Published**: 2026-09-08T10:07:16.206Z (3h ago)
**Category**: conflict | **Region**: Eastern Europe
**Importance**: 10/10
**Sources**: OSINT
**Permalink**: https://hamerintel.com/data/articles/17256.md
**Source**: https://hamerintel.com/summaries

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**Deck**: President Volodymyr Zelensky said Russia is setting up infrastructure to mobilize at least 300,000 additional troops, likely after elections, even as Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said victory in the Ukraine conflict is very close and Russia is confident of success.

President Volodymyr Zelensky said on 8 September that Russia is preparing to mobilize hundreds of thousands of additional troops for its war in Ukraine, even as the Kremlin publicly insists that victory is near.

Zelensky said Russian authorities are putting in place infrastructure to call up at least 300,000 more troops. He noted that it is unclear whether such a mobilization would be announced openly or carried out in a more covert way. In his view, Moscow is likely to deny any preparations until elections are over in order to avoid domestic tension, with Russian rhetoric potentially changing in late September.

At roughly the same time, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said that victory in the conflict in Ukraine is very close and that Russia is confident of its success. The statement was echoed in a separate Kremlin line that “victory in the conflict in Ukraine is very close, and Russia is confident in its success.”

Zelensky also said Russia is intensifying air strikes and spreading information campaigns, presenting these as part of a broader effort to pressure Ukraine ahead of winter. The details of those information efforts were not fully set out in the available reports.

If Russia proceeds with a mobilization on the scale Zelensky described, it would deepen the war’s impact on Russian society, bringing new waves of men into the armed forces and adding strain to regions that have already sent many soldiers to the front.

On the battlefield, more Russian troops would add weight to a conflict that is already defined by large‑scale deployments. Ukrainian forces have reported continuing heavy fighting, including in the Kharkiv region, where Russia’s Ministry of Defense said its forces had taken control of Dovhenke and Bereznyky, and along other sections of the front.

The contrasting messages from Kyiv and Moscow also fit into a broader information struggle. While Zelensky warns of a longer war and increased Russian mobilization and strike intensity, the Kremlin projects confidence and an imminent victory, and has also argued through Peskov that Russia did not start the conflict.

For Ukraine’s partners, the signals will feed into decisions about how long to sustain military and financial support. Zelensky has said he is pressing for more air‑defense capabilities, including from the United States, and is expecting to meet Donald Trump later in September to discuss anti‑ballistic missiles and what he has called a winter package.

Indicators to watch include any legal or administrative steps in Russia that point to a broader draft, changes in official language after elections, and whether Ukraine’s allies respond by increasing longer‑term support such as air‑defense systems and ammunition.