On September 29, vladimir putin ordered 135,000 men aged 18 to 30 to be drafted into the army by the end of 2025, the largest autumn conscription in almost a decade.
This was reported by the portal of the British publication The Telegraph.
The publication indicates that officially regular spring and autumn conscriptions in russia have nothing to do with the war in Ukraine, as the Kremlin fears the wrath of mothers. Therefore, as the publication notes, conscripts are kept safe at bases inside the country during their military service, while soldiers who have signed a contract with the army fight against Ukraine.
However, as the article emphasizes, the numbers speak for themselves. The Kremlin leader wants to increase the size of his armed forces to 2.4 million, including 1.5 million servicemen on active duty. This means that by 2028 there will be an increase of 180,000 people.
Notably, this year's autumn conscription campaign, combined with 160,000 conscripts in the spring, means that in 2025 the total number of men called up for military service will be the highest since 2016.
Although, as the article says, both russia and Ukraine are keeping the real statistics secret, it is clear that russia has more infantry on the battlefield, and due to its larger population, it can more easily replace losses. At the same time, according to the publication, it is russia, which attacked Ukraine, that is suffering the most losses in this war.
The publication cites data that 900,000 men and women are likely involved in the defense of Ukraine. It also adds that the deputy head of the Defense Intelligence of Ukraine, Major General Vadym Skibitskyi, stated that russia has about 620,000 military personnel on the territory of Ukraine and plans to recruit another 343,000 contract soldiers in 2025. At the same time, Skibitskyi did not rule out that russia may exceed this goal and call up more people.
According to the data, the Kremlin is trying to create a "strategic reserve" of more than 200,000 contract soldiers for future operations. According to the publication, this may indicate that russia is confident that it can win the war in Ukraine.
However, as the publication notes, the numerical advantage has not yet brought victory to the aggressor country. Ukrainians are effectively using drones to compensate for the shortage of personnel. The summer operation did not bring the russians the desired result.
"One of the main questions will be: if the goal is to take over the entire Donetsk Region, can russia do it without mobilization? I think they may have to significantly increase their troop numbers, at least given the way they're fighting now, which is very costly in terms of casualties," says Rob Lee, a former U.S. Marine officer who now studies the war.
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