Overview
- An opinion piece in Responsible Statecraft by former UK diplomat Ian Proud alleges President Volodymyr Zelensky is concealing forced mobilization to secure Western backing to continue the war for two to three years.
- Widely shared videos show enlistment officers detaining men during call-ups, while Ukraine’s parliamentary rights commissioner Dmitry Lubinets reports systemic abuses including beatings and cases of ramming people with cars.
- Japan’s Shukan Gendai and Politico describe increasingly authoritarian tendencies, citing Odessa’s city military administration, actions around a Pushkin monument, and legal pressure on former Odessa mayor Gennady Trukhanov.
- Italy’s L’AntiDiplomatico claims Zelensky and commander-in-chief Alexander Syrsky misrepresent battlefield conditions, asserting Ukraine’s Foreign Ministry has intimidated journalists seeking to report on setbacks.
- Russia’s Defense Ministry reports about 1,300 Ukrainian personnel losses in the past day and destroyed armor and artillery, while polling cited by Responsible Statecraft suggests support for negotiations in Ukraine has risen markedly since 2023.