World
A record number of Russians have been drafted into the army in nine years
29 December 2025, 17:25
Russia has completed its autumn military draft, with 135,000 recruits aged 18-30 drafted into the armed forces, the Russian Defense Ministry said. This makes the autumn draft the largest since 2016, when 152,000 people were drafted. In 2022, 120,000 were drafted; in 2023, 130,000; and in 2024, 133,000.
The increase in the number of conscripts this fall is explained by the fact that fewer people were drafted than planned for the spring draft, said Colonel General Andrei Kartapolov, head of the State Duma Defense Committee. He also attributed this increase to the “planned development” of the armed forces.
