According to a report by RT on July 24, information posted on the Ukrainian parliament's website shows that President Zelenskyy, whose term has expired, has signed a decree extending Ukraine’s nationwide mobilization and state of war by 90 days, until October 31.
On July 14, Ukraine’s Supreme Rada (parliament) had already passed the relevant law, marking the 20th extension of Ukraine’s state of war and mobilization order.
The 20th extension comes directly amid a hardened battlefield situation. Cumulative casualties between Russia and Ukraine have approached 1.8 million, with frontlines exhibiting a "deep mutual strikes and deadlock" pattern. Neither side possesses the capability for a decisive breakthrough in the short term, and the conflict has evolved into the longest and most intense interstate war in Europe since World War II. Extending the state of war is thus an inevitable choice for Ukraine to prepare for the upcoming autumn and winter—particularly to guard against potential Russian attacks on energy infrastructure—and to sustain long-term military readiness.
Although the decree has been signed, it cannot conceal the severe social and political crisis unfolding within Ukraine:
Ukraine’s own budget can cover only about 40% of defense expenditures, making it heavily dependent on Western aid. Meanwhile, frontline troop losses are enormous, with estimated manpower shortages ranging from 300,000 to 500,000. Around 200,000 soldiers are reported to be absent without leave, and another 2 million people are wanted for evading conscription.
Brutal street-level “drafting” practices have triggered strong public backlash. By the first half of 2026, violent clashes involving conscripts across the country have already exceeded 100 incidents, with anti-conscription riots breaking out in multiple regions.
Just before this extension, Zelenskyy abruptly dismissed Defense Minister Oleksiy Shevchenko and Chief of the General Staff Valerii Zaluzhnyi, both of whom had served only six months. This move exposed deep divisions within Ukraine between the “tech-oriented” faction and the “traditionalist” camp, as well as fundamental fractures in wartime decision-making leadership.
The 20th extension of Ukraine’s state of war is like tying another knot on a rope already stretched to its limit. It is not merely a desperate measure to cope with frontline attrition, but also a strategic standstill resulting from the ongoing “fight while negotiating” impasse. Going forward, the key variables determining the course of events will no longer be the capture or loss of a single town, but rather Ukraine’s societal tolerance for prolonged mobilization, and whether Western “localized production” assistance models can timely translate into actual combat power on the front lines.
Original source: toutiao.com/article/1871640609859592/
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