Admitting defeat, war going in wrong direction: Will new mobilization begin across Russia?

Amidst a stalled offensive in Ukraine and mounting domestic pressure, Russian officials are escalating rhetoric and intensifying attacks, a move analysts suggest could be a gambit to force Western nations into peace negotiations on Moscow's terms. Recent analyses indicate that Russia's war aims may be increasingly unattainable, reflecting growing dissent within the Russian political establishment.

Former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev has issued stark warnings to European citizens, stating their governments have "unilaterally entered into war with Russia." He described a Russian drone crashing in NATO member Romania as a "first warning sign" and urged caution, implying that peaceful sleep is over. These aggressive statements coincide with a barrage of ballistic missiles and drones targeting Ukrainian cities, including Kyiv and Dnipro, resulting in numerous civilian casualties.

European officials, speaking anonymously, view Russia's escalating aggression as a sign of its deepening military and economic struggles. They fear that Moscow might attempt to broaden the conflict beyond Ukraine's borders into Europe. However, President Vladimir Putin has vehemently rejected such suggestions, labeling them as "crude, brazen lies." Meanwhile, a prominent Russian academic, Vasily Kashin, argues in a foreign policy journal that Russia cannot outspend Ukraine on military technology due to continued Western aid, and that Ukrainian mobilization efforts are a sufficient counter to Russia's recruitment system. Kashin concludes that the war is now between "comparably equal opponents," a scenario historically unlikely to result in the complete destruction of one side.