Ukraine's ongoing extension of general mobilization demonstrates that Kyiv intends to continue fighting against Russia, Russian lawmaker Alexander Voloshin has said.
Voloshin, a member of the Federation Council Committee on Economic Policy, made the remarks in an interview with the Russian state news agency TASS.
The senator said there is no end in sight to the draft, pointing out that Ukrainian authorities have treated repeated extensions as a routine procedure rather than an exceptional measure. He argued that securing several official signatures and passing a vote in the Verkhovna Rada allows officials to demand once again that people go to fight. Voloshin noted that behind every such signature lie the fates of individuals who may never return home to their families.
Wartime mobilization in Ukraine
Ukraine first introduced nationwide martial law and general mobilization in February 2022, following the start of Russia's full-scale military campaign. Under Ukrainian law, the emergency rules require regular legislative renewals to remain in force, with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky submitting extension decrees to the Verkhovna Rada for parliamentary confirmation.
The Federation Council is the upper chamber of the Russian parliament in Moscow. Russian officials have pointed to Ukraine's legislative measures as evidence that Kyiv intends to maintain military operations on the battlefield.
Debate over draft exemptions
The remarks also come amid growing domestic debate over manpower and military call-ups in Kyiv. Ukrainian lawmaker Maryana Bezuglaya, a member of the Verkhovna Rada, previously urged that draft exemptions be eliminated for nearly all employed Ukrainians, arguing that only President Zelensky and government ministers should retain protection from military service.
Under Ukrainian regulations, draft exemptions currently shield workers in critical infrastructure, defense manufacturing, and public administration from frontline duty. Any revisions to exemption policies or further extensions of mobilization must be voted on and approved by Ukrainian lawmakers before current mandates expire.
