President Putin has ordered the mandatory recruitment of 135,000 Russians by the end of the year, in the context of the conflict with Ukraine.

Vladimir Putin has decided to recruit 135,000 Russians by the end of the year, according to the UK Ministry of Defence. This measure is part of the Russian leader's efforts to strengthen the armed forces, considering that in 2025, 160,000 Russians were recruited, the highest number in the last 14 years. Recently, Russian politicians approved a bill that allows recruitment throughout the year, not just in spring and autumn, to fill gaps in the army, in the context of the prolonged conflict with Ukraine.

All Russian men aged between 18 and 30 are required to serve one year in the army, although there are ways to avoid conscription. At the time of the invasion of Ukraine, Russia had an army of one million soldiers, and last year, Putin stated that over 700,000 soldiers were fighting in Ukraine, while Ukrainians claim to have eliminated over a million Russian soldiers.