The decision to officially announce mobilization in Russia was already on the table in the Kremlin, but it was postponed for several reasons, including the upcoming presidential elections scheduled for the spring of 2024.
Andriy Yusov, a representative of the Main Intelligence Directorate of the Ministry of Defense, revealed this in an interview with RBC-Ukraine.
"The decision on a new wave of public mobilization was seriously considered and literally lay on the table of the military and political leadership of the aggressor state. However, this decision was not implemented and is currently postponed for various reasons," he explained.
Yusov mentioned concerns about destabilization and protest processes within the Russian Federation, which "is actually an extremely unstable entity with a bunch of internal problems."
"The first wave of this so-called partial mobilization has brightly highlighted some of these problems. Therefore, such a decision is being considered, but as of now, it has not been adopted," he added.
He also noted that the March presidential elections in Russia are a significant factor taken into account in the Kremlin's decision-making process.
As previously clarified by the Main Intelligence Directorate, Russians continue to mobilize for the war against Ukraine. Currently, the pace of mobilization exceeds 20,000 people per month.