- Russian President Vladimir Putin is building up his military by drafting more men than he has since 2011. The move comes as more Russian men try to avoid military service and as losses from the war in Ukraine mount.
- The pool of eligible draftees is up by 10,000 men compared to the same time last year.
- The move comes as Baltic NATO nations have expressed fear over “Russian aggression,” and amid ceasefire talks brokered by the United States.
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Russia aims to bulk up its military by drafting 160,000 men between the ages of 18 and 30.
The call-up is Moscow’s largest since 2011, coming just months after Russian President Vladimir Putin vowed to increase the overall size of his military by hundreds of thousands of service members.
How does it compare to previous drafts?
The 160,000 in the current draft is 10,000 higher than last year during the same period.
Russian officials said the new conscripts will not be fighting in Ukraine. The promise comes as some conscripts were reportedly killed fighting along Russia’s border, and others were sent to Ukraine during the early months of the war.
The current draft will take place from April until July.
Why now?
Since early last year, the pool of men available for conscription has increased as Russia raised the maximum age from 27 to 30.
The increase comes as a growing number of Russians are trying to avoid joining the military and as Moscow has reportedly lost more than 100,000 soldiers to the war in Ukraine. However, according to a BBC analysis, the actual number may be twice as high.
Russia has attempted to make up for those losses through its twice-yearly draft and by bringing in thousands of North Korean troops.
What is the bigger picture?
Moscow’s call-up comes as the United States attempts to broker a ceasefire between Russia and Ukraine, which led to President Donald Trump expressing frustration with Putin over a lack of progress in negotiations.
Putin has increased the size of his military three times since he sent troops to Ukraine in February 2022.
Russia also said the December 2023 build-up was to combat “growing threats” from the war in Ukraine and the “ongoing expansion of NATO.”
How have other countries responded?
Finland, Poland and the Baltic states recently pulled out of the Ottawa Convention, which bans anti-personal landmines (APLs), citing Russian aggression as it increases its military size.
