Is Russia preparing to mobilize more soldiers?

A new wave of Russian mobilization has been predicted for years without ever materializing. This time the indicators are more concrete — and once the Duma elections are over in September, Putin has an obvious window to make the decision.

But mobilization is not a straightforward solution for him. It is expensive, and it pulls men out of an economy that is already short of workers. And above all, there is the question of how he intends to use the new soldiers to actually make a difference on the frontline.