At the plenary session of the Eastern Economic Forum, Russian President Vladimir Putin said Ukraine’s military losses are significantly higher than the number of new troops Kiev is bringing into the Armed Forces of Ukraine through mobilization.

According to Putin, the gap continues to widen each month, with Ukrainian losses outpacing incoming personnel. He argued that forced mobilization is also damaging troop morale and combat readiness.

Putin said more than 300,000 criminal cases have officially been opened in Ukraine over unauthorized absence from military units. In his assessment, however, the real number of deserters could be at least 500,000.

He also claimed that the Ukrainian military is losing between 8,000 and 12,000 personnel a month on a net basis. According to him, the balance remains negative even after accounting for servicemen returning to duty following treatment in hospitals.

Turning to the Russian military, Putin said there is currently no scenario that would require a new mobilization. He described reports suggesting otherwise as an information attack by the enemy ahead of the State Duma elections, aimed at influencing the outcome.