Moscow orders another 160,000 servicemen to be conscripted - Russia's largest increase since war began in Ukraine - as Putin continues to delay ceasefire
Russia has ordered the largest increase in conscription since the Ukraine war began as a further 160,000 servicemen are called up to the frontline.
The planned draft size has increased from 150,000 in 2024 and 134,500 in 2022, when Russia launched its invasion of Ukraine.
It comes as Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered Russia to boost the size of its army to 1.5 million active servicemen - an increase of some 180,000 troops over three years.
This is despite growing efforts from the United States to bring forward a ceasefire to the three-year-old conflict with Putin being accused of delaying the peace process.
Despite the Kremlin's claim that those called-up are not linked to the war in Ukraine, Kyiv has said throughout the conflict that it has taken Russian conscripts captive and Putin previously admitted that some had been sent to fight by mistake.
Russian men are eligible to be drafted for mandatory military service through bi-annual call-ups.
Apart from its conscription drives, Russia has recruited hundreds of thousands of men for its offensive on Ukraine as paid contract soldiers, offering high salaries and massive sign-up bonuses.
Russia traditionally holds waves of conscription in spring and autumn, with men aged 18-30 eligible to be called up.
Russian President Vladimir Putin. Putin has Putin ordered Russia to boost the size of its army to 1.5 million active servicemen
A Russian conscript getting ready to leave home. Since the war started Russia has increased the draft size for conscripts from 134,500 to 150,000
Russian soldiers in Kursk in March 2025. Despite the Kremlin's claim that those called-up are not linked to the war in Ukraine, Kyiv has said throughout the conflict that it has taken Russian conscripts captive and Putin previously admitted that some had been sent to fight by mistake
Putin raised the upper age limit from 27 in 2023.
The spring call-ups will run from April 1 until July 15, according to Putin's decree.
Despite pledging that conscripts do not get sent to the front, Russia drafted more than 300,000 'reservists' in 2022 for its Ukraine offensive in what it called a 'partial mobilisation.'
That triggered hundreds of thousands of men to flee the country to avoid being called up.
The increase in conscription comes as President Donald Trump said he was 'p***** off' with his Russian counterpart for the little amount of progress in the peace process.
The US has met with delegations from Russia and Ukraine in Saudi Arabia earlier this month to discuss prospective steps towards a ceasefire.
Speaking with NBC host Kristen Welker over the weekend, Trump warned that Moscow could face a new round of harsh economic sanctions for the flub in peace negotiations.
He said this would include a tariff of between 25 and 50 percent on oil from Russia, as well as a warning to other countries that if they do buy oil from Putin's country, 'you can't do business in the United States.'
The increase in conscription comes as President Donald Trump said he was 'p***** off' with his Russian counterpart for the little amount of progress in the peace process
Trump also attacked Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. Trump claimed that Zelensky wants to back out of a critical minerals deal, warning the Ukrainian leader would face big problems if he did
Trump's seemingly-full-throated defense of Ukraine and its leader was short lived as the US president also launched into an attack against Zelensky yesterday.
The president claimed that Zelensky wants to back out of a critical minerals deal, warning the Ukrainian leader would face big problems if he did.
'He's trying to back out of the rare earth deal and if he does that he's got some problems, big, big problems,' Trump told reporters.
The proposed mineral deal would reportedly see the United States handed control of Ukraine's mineral wealth and infrastructure linked to natural resources in an agreement which would be unparalleled in the history of modern diplomacy.
On top of this, the plan hands America unprecedented control over the sale of the war torn nation's resources which could include vetoing sales to China or restricting sales to Europe.
Despite the massive economic control handed over to the US it would come with no security guarantee in light of a future Russian invasion.
