Putin orders recruitment of 130,000 conscripts
Putin announces the fall conscription (Getty Images)
Russian President Vladimir Putin has issued a directive to carry out a military draft from October 1 to December 31, 2024. The draft will target 133,000 Russian citizens aged 18 to 30 who are not in reserve and are subject to conscription, according to Russia’s legal information portal.
In the same decree, soldiers, sailors, sergeants, and senior officers who have completed their terms of conscript service will be discharged.
Russian army expansion
Earlier, Putin ordered an increase in the size of Russia's armed forces by 180,000, bringing the total to 2.39 million personnel, with the number of active military personnel reaching 1.5 million. This marks the third such decree signed by Putin since the beginning of the war against Ukraine in February 2022.
However, according to British intelligence, Putin’s plans to grow the military by 180,000 troops face significant challenges due to heavy losses in Ukraine and recruitment issues.
The war in Ukraine has become a costly endeavor for Russia, particularly in terms of manpower. Since the war began, Russia has reportedly lost 610,000 personnel, including those killed and wounded.
In May 2024, Lieutenant General Oleksandr Pavliuk, commander of Ukraine’s Ground Forces, reported that the number of Russian troops in Ukraine has surged since 2022 and now stands at around 510,000.
