British intelligence analyzes largest military draft in russia

Russian dictator vladimir putin has announced the largest conscription to replace heavy losses on the front in russia's war against Ukraine. Most likely, conscripts will be pressured to sign a military contract for the war in Ukraine.

The Ministry of Defense of the United Kingdom has reported this.

Thus, on March 31, 2025, putin signed a decree on the annual spring conscription for military service, which provides for the conscription of 160,000 russian men aged 18 to 30. All eligible russian men are required to serve one year of military service.

"Conscripts have generally not been sent to fight in Ukraine. However, conscripts were highly likely involved in fighting in Russia’s Kursk oblast following Ukraine's incursion into the region in August 2024," the report says.

This has reportedly drawn condemnation from russian parents who have complained that their sons are being sent to the war zone after only four months of training. Up to 1,000 russian conscripts were reportedly sent to Kursk, with 250 of them captured.

Russian conscription cycles take place twice a year, in the spring and autumn. The previous conscription cycle began on October 1, 2024. This is the largest since 2011. It is in line with the russian Ministry of Defence’s announcement in December 2022 that the total number of personnel in the Armed Forces would increase to 1.5 million by the end of 2026.

"Russia has likely sustained more than 900,000 casualties fighting in Ukraine. To replace these battlefield losses and sustain the war effort, conscripts will almost certainly be pressured to sign permanent military contracts which make them eligible for duty in Ukraine," the intelligence agency concluded.

As the Ukrainian News agency earlier reported, the current conscription campaign in russia will be the largest in 14 years. The last time a larger number of recruits – 203,000 people – was recorded in 2011.

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