Ukraine war latest: Kremlin says Russia ready for mass mobilization 'at any moment'

• Kremlin says Russia ready for mass mobilization like in WWII 'at any moment'
• '5 explosions' — Ukrainian drones strike Russian military plant in Murom, source claims
• EU will not recognize Crimea as part of Russia, Kallas says
• 600 North Korean troops killed fighting for Russia against Ukraine, South Korea says
• Zelensky warns Russia is 'preparing something' in Belarus under guise of military drills

Russia can mobilize for war on a scale comparable to the Soviet Union during World War II if necessary, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said on April 30.

"If a great country needs to stand up, it will stand up at any moment. No one can have any doubts," Peskov said during a lecture at the Victory Museum in Moscow.

He claimed that "millions" of Russians are already assisting the military effort against Ukraine by collecting aid, sending equipment and ammunition to the front line with personal funds, and weaving camouflage nets.

"Somewhere around 30 million Soviet people... gave their lives in the fight against fascism," he added.

Peskov's comments come as Russian authorities recruit 30,000 to 40,000 people into the army each month, sources familiar with U.S. and EU intelligence told the Wall Street Journal.

Instead of formal conscription, the Kremlin has leaned on financial incentives and aggressive recruitment campaigns to fill its ranks, including offering lucrative contracts to volunteers.

'5 explosions' — Ukrainian drones strike Russian military plant in Murom, source claims

Ukrainian drones struck the Murom Instrument-Making Plant in Russia's Vladimir Oblast overnight on April 30, damaging two buildings and sparking a fire, a source in Ukraine's Security Service (SBU) told the Kyiv Independent.

The facility, known locally as the city's "powder factory," produces ignition components for ammunition used by Russia's Armed Forces, Interior Ministry, and Federal Security Service (FSB), according to Russia's National Defense magazine.

It is under Ukrainian and EU sanctions for its role in supporting Russia's war effort.

"There were five explosions at the facility," the SBU source said. "Two buildings were preliminarily damaged, and a fire broke out."

"It specializes in the production of ammunition ignition devices, as well as components and products for the Russian Navy and Air Force," they added.

Vladimir Oblast Governor Alexander Avdeev confirmed a fire occurred at a warehouse in Murom and attributed it to downed drones.

EU will not recognize Crimea as part of Russia, Kallas says

The European Union will not recognize Russia's annexation of Crimea under any circumstances, EU’s top diplomat Kaja Kallas said on April 30 in an interview with the Financial Times.

Her remarks come amid growing concern that the Trump administration is pressuring Ukraine to accept a peace deal requiring concessions and paving the way for renewed ties with Russia.

Previously, Axios reported that the peace plan suggested by U.S. President Donald Trump included de jure recognition of Russia's control over Crimea, along with de facto recognition of its occupation of other Ukrainian territories. It also provided for lifting sanctions imposed on Russia since 2014.

"On the European side, we have said this over and over again… Crimea is Ukraine," Kallas said. "But we can't speak for America, of course, and what they will do."

Kallas said the EU is also drawing up a "plan B" to maintain economic sanctions on Russia in case the Trump administration pulls out of Ukraine peace negotiations and moves to restore ties with Moscow. Plan A, according to Kallas, may be threatened by Hungary, which can block the rollover of EU economic sanctions in July.

600 North Korean troops killed fighting for Russia against Ukraine, South Korea says

Around 600 North Korean soldiers have been killed while fighting alongside Russian forces, South Korean lawmaker Lee Seong-kweun said on April 30, citing briefings from the country's National Intelligence Service, Reuters reported.

Lee, a member of South Korea's parliamentary intelligence committee, said North Korea has suffered about 4,700 casualties in total, including both dead and wounded.

Despite early losses and poor equipment, North Korean troops have improved their combat effectiveness over six months by adopting to modern weapons, in particular drones.

"After six months of participation in the war, the North Korean military has become less inept, and its combat capability has significantly improved as it becomes accustomed to using new weapons such as drones," Lee told reporters.

Russia's Chief of the General Staff, Valery Gerasimov, on April 26 publicly acknowledged that North Korean soldiers have fought in Kursk Oblast to help Russia retake territory seized by Ukraine during a cross-border offensive launched in August 2024. Pyongyang followed suit shortly after.

The campaign aimed to disrupt Russian preparations for an assault on Sumy Oblast and divert Kremlin forces from the front lines in Donetsk Oblast.

Kyiv and Seoul have previously estimated that around 11,000 North Korean troops were initially deployed to the region, though Moscow had not officially confirmed their presence until now.

In exchange for troops and arms deliveries to Moscow, Pyongyang appears to have received Russian technical assistance on spy satellites, as well as drones and anti-air missiles, according to the South Korean intelligence assessment.

President Volodymyr Zelensky previously said North Korean units fighting for Russia had suffered around 4,000 casualties, with roughly two-thirds killed.

Zelensky warns Russia is 'preparing something' in Belarus under guise of military drills

Zelensky warned on April 29 that Russia is preparing potential military aggression under the guise of joint exercises with Belarus this summer.

"Look at Belarus — this summer, Russia is preparing something there under the guise of military exercises. This is how its new attacks usually start," Zelensky said at the Three Seas Summit, according to Suspilne.

"But where this time? I don't know. Ukraine? Lithuania? Poland? God forbid! But we all have to be prepared. All our institutions are open to cooperation."

Belarus will host the Zapad 2025 (West 2025) military exercises with Russian forces, part of a long-standing series of drills held every two years since 2009.

The most recent iteration, Zapad-2021, involved over 200,000 participants and served as a prelude to Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.

Despite not being directly involved in Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, Belarus continues to host Russian troops and missiles on its territory.

Belarus shares borders with Ukraine, Poland, Lithuania, Latvia, and Russia, positioning it as a key strategic corridor between NATO and Moscow.

Commander-in-Chief Oleksandr Syrskyi previously said that the upcoming Zapad exercises could enable Russia to covertly assemble offensive forces under the guise of drills.