Putin dragging his feet on mobilization despite troop shortages exposed by Kursk incursion

Some potential draftees say they are not enthusiastic about defending their country’s territory.

Ukraine 's incursion into Kursk Oblast exposed Russia 's shortage of reserves two and a half years into its full-scale invasion of Ukraine .

Russia 's ongoing eastern offensive since late 2023 has come with costly troop losses.

Analysts say that Russian President Vladimir Putin thinks Russia can still make gains on the front without resorting to mobilization.

Russia 's invasion force in Ukraine is smaller than the total number of troops, analysts say.

Putin claimed in June that there were almost 700,000 Russian troops in Ukraine and Russian areas bordering Ukraine .

Ukraine 's Commander-in-Chief Oleksandr Syrsky said in January that Russia was planning to increase it to 690,000 by the end of 2024 .

The use of young conscripts in the war is a sensitive political issue since their service is not voluntary.

Putin 's approval rating fell from 83% in August 2022 to 77% in September 2022 amid the first mobilization, according to the Levada Center .

Oreshkin said that Putin "will avoid mobilization until the very last moment" because it would provoke social discontent and a drop in his approval rating.