The Kremlin’s evolving rhetoric regarding the ongoing war in Ukraine is a clear signal of an information campaign designed to prepare the Russian public for a new wave of mobilization. Andrii Kovalenko, head of the Center for Countering Disinformation under the NSDC of Ukraine, noted via Telegram that officials in Moscow are abandoning the euphemism ‘Special Military Operation’ in favor of the term ‘full-scale war.’
Dmitry Peskov’s recent interviews, in which he blames the U.S. and Europe for supplying weapons to Ukraine, are essential pieces of this strategy. By framing the conflict as a ‘full-scale war’ caused by the West, the Kremlin is creating the necessary pretext to justify additional military recruitment, likely planned for this autumn. This shift is intended to manage public sentiment and suppress potential unrest as the regime prepares to pull more citizens into the war effort.
According to analysts, this change in terminology will likely be accompanied by stricter domestic controls, including potential bans on travel for Russian men. Kovalenko warned that for the average Russian soldier, the situation on the front lines is grim, with life expectancy in active combat zones estimated to be between 15 and 30 minutes. The shift in narrative highlights that despite propaganda, the human cost of the war remains devastating.
Meanwhile, the Russian leadership continues to reject any calls for peace negotiations, signaling an intent to escalate the conflict further in the coming months. As the Kremlin prepares to feed more human resources into the meat grinder of this war, international observers and the Ukrainian government emphasize that this reflects the desperation of the Russian military-political establishment. The focus on mobilizing civilians underscores the failure of their previous strategic goals and the ongoing need for increased international support for Ukraine’s defense efforts.