Russia Mobilizes New Citizens for Ukraine

More than 30,000 foreigners who recently acquired Russian citizenship but failed to register for military service have been identified and added to mobilization lists, according to Alexander Bastrykin, chairman of the Investigative Committee, as reported by Russian news agency Interfax on Thursday.

Bastrykin disclosed this information during a legal forum in St. Petersburg, stating that these individuals are now obligated under Russian law to participate in military operations if required. He emphasized that around 10,000 of these new citizens have already been deployed to the front lines in Ukraine.

The origins of these individuals who obtained Russian passports were not specified by Bastrykin or the Investigative Committee.

Russian President Vladimir Putin previously asserted that no new mobilization efforts were necessary to support ongoing military activities in Ukraine. Just two weeks ago, Putin announced that nearly 700,000 Russian military personnel are currently stationed in Ukraine.

Meanwhile, the Ukrainian Air Force successfully intercepted and destroyed all 23 drones and five of six missiles launched by Russia during recent hostilities. Serhiy Tyurin, regional governor of Ukraine's Khmelnytskyi region, confirmed that nine aerial objects were neutralized by Ukrainian air defenses in his area, with no reported casualties or significant damage.