That is according to the Institute for the Study of War (ISW), Ukrinform reports.

Analysts drew attention to Putin's speech on Navy Day on July 26, in which he heavily emphasized the importance of Russia's national unity around the war effort in Ukraine. He claimed that Russia needs to "imbue the consciousness" of its civil society with the importance of the war and to preserve this sense of national unity even after the war ends.

Putin also said that Russian volunteers are eager to help the Russian military and "are worried that Russian forces will no longer need their help in peacetime." According to analysts, this is an attempt to portray the Russian population as willing to continue the war and bear the necessary sacrifices to achieve victory in Ukraine.

During a meeting with State Duma lawmakers on July 27, Putin spoke about the unity of the Russian authorities around the war effort. In particular, he highlighted the Duma's collective vote on laws concerning the "integration" of the occupied territories of Ukraine's Luhansk, Donetsk, Zaporizhzhia and Kherson regions.

Read also:Putin used meeting with Kazakh President to justify refusal to freeze front line in Ukraine – ISW

"Putin likely highlighted the role of Duma deputies and ordinary citizens in Russia's military effort in an effort to deflect personal responsibility for the continuing costly war and to portray them as fully supportive of Putin's decisions ahead of the Duma elections in September 2026," ISW analysts said.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said earlier that after the State Duma elections, Kremlin leader Vladimir Putin plans to launch a mobilization campaign and expects to conscript between 300,000 and 500,000 people.