Russia plans to recruit 67,000 troops in 2026, including residents of occupied Ukraine
Illustrative photo: Russia is recruiting citizens from the occupied territories of Ukraine (Getty Images)
In 2026, Russia plans to recruit nearly 67,000 people to replenish its military units and formations. To achieve this, it intends to enlist contract soldiers, including residents of Ukraine’s temporarily occupied territories, said the spokesperson for Ukraine’s Southern Defense Forces, Vladyslav Voloshyn, in a comment to RBC-Ukraine.
"According to our intelligence, in 2026, Russia is trying to recruit nearly 67,000 contract soldiers to reinforce units and formations of its Southern Military District," he said.
According to Voloshyn, Russia also plans to recruit residents of Ukraine’s temporarily occupied territories, including the Donetsk and Luhansk regions, Crimea, and the city of Sevastopol, as well as parts of the Zaporizhzhia and Kherson regions.
"They have even set specific targets: about 530 contracts from the occupied part of the Zaporizhzhia region, around 300 from the Kherson region, more than 3,500 from occupied Crimea, and about 750 from Sevastopol," he said.
As a result, Voloshyn explained, Russian forces are actively continuing efforts to recruit Ukrainians who remain in the occupied territories on a contract basis. According to Ukrainian intelligence, in the first 10 days of 2026 alone, Russia has already recruited 130 people from the occupied territories into its army.
Mobilization in Russia
Amid heavy losses in the Pokrovsk direction, the Russian command has begun forming assault units staffed with women.
In addition, reports have emerged of a large-scale recruitment of reservists in Russia to allegedly guard critically important infrastructure facilities. According to available information, the formation of such units has started in at least 20 regions of the country.
Analysts at the Institute for the Study of War note that the Kremlin is effectively carrying out forced partial conscription as part of the creation of a so-called active reserve. Despite official statements, these people are being prepared for participation in combat operations against Ukraine.
RBC-Ukraine has also reported that Russian occupation authorities are trying to legalize the forced mobilization of residents in temporarily occupied Ukrainian territories. Russia has adopted a law allowing conscription year-round, from January 1 to December 31, formally extending it to the occupied Ukrainian regions as well.
