Russia may force more men to fight in Ukraine as military faces heavy losses

# Why This Matters Russia's potential expansion of forced military conscription signals a critical inflection point in the Ukraine war's trajectory and could reshape European security dynamics for years to come. If Moscow implements broader mobilization to replace mounting casualties—which U.S. and Ukrainian officials estimate in the hundreds of thousands—the conflict will likely intensify rather than move toward negotiation, extending the timeline for any potential settlement and deepening the humanitarian toll. Such escalation would also strain Russia's domestic economy and social fabric, potentially triggering internal resistance to the war effort, though authoritarian controls may suppress public dissent. For neighboring NATO members and the broader European security order, a prolonged, intensified conflict increases risks of miscalculation, weapons proliferation in the region, and greater likelihood of direct confrontation between Russian and NATO forces.