A downcast Vladimir Putin looks visibly shaken as he chairs a tense meeting inside the Kremlin, putting on a desperate show of denial over Russia's buckling economy as fears of a bloody civilian revolt reach boiling point. The cowering dictator has attempted to reassure citizens that the country's economy remains stable. Putin shrugged off crippling fuel shortages and soaring inflation caused by Ukrainian long-range strikes on refineries as mere 'temporary' blips. Slumped at the table, Putin blamed 'external attempts to destabilise the fuel and energy sector' while insisting the war machine was fine.
Analysts say Putin delusional
But analysts at the Institute for the Study of War (ISW) say the tyrant is in a state of pure delusion as he stares down widespread fuel crises and labour shortages, while secretly plotting a massive, deeply unpopular army draft to avoid total collapse. The ISW reveals the Kremlin is actively setting legal conditions for a major military call-up – and bracing for the violent public backlash it could ignite.
New mobilisation planned
To feed the meat-grinder frontlines, Russia's State Duma passed a grim new law permitting citizens with criminal records, specifically those convicted of drug trafficking and organised crime, to sign contracts with the Ministry of Defence during an official mobilisation. Russian Deputy Defense Minister Viktor Goremykin admitted the legislation will expand the pool of Russians eligible for military service and 'contribute to Russia's efforts' to recruit personnel for the war in Ukraine in 2026.
Uprising fears rife
Fearing his own terrified citizens will rise up against the draft, Putin's internal security force, Rosgvardia, published proposed amendments to expand its civil defence powers to 'protect Russian society from unspecified dangers' during mobilisation, martial law and wartime. The Centre for Countering Disinformation reports that Moscow is plotting to force more than 500,000 people into uniform this autumn to cover catastrophic losses and launch a fresh offensive. Part of the mobilised forces are slated to be deployed to the frontlines within just two weeks of conscription to cover casualties in the east, while others undergo roughly a month of training.
Panic sparked by Telegram post
Panic over the army draft flared when a post appeared on the Telegram channel of Russian State Duma Deputy Andrey Gurulyov saying the Kremlin was preparing a new autumn mobilisation due to forces reaching a stalemate. Gurulyov quickly claimed his channel was 'hacked' and that 'texts from there are being spread by enemies.' Yet strangely, the post warning of the draft has still not been deleted.
Putin increasingly paranoid
While Putin lays the groundwork for a draft, reports suggest the tyrant is consumed by deep-seated paranoia, refusing to leave his Moscow stronghold for at least a week due to mounting assassination fears. Inside the Kremlin, a vicious 'war of all against all' is erupting as Putin turns on his own inner circle with a brutal wave of arrests. Former Ukrainian official Anton Gerashchenko lifted the lid on the madness consuming the regime. Posting on X, he said: 'The Kremlin is now like spiders in a jar. A war of all against all has started among the Kremlin elite, accompanied by unprecedented arrests of people who were close to Putin.'
