Russia seeks to recruit 400,000 contract soldiers this year - British Intelligence

This is stated in a report by the UK Ministry of Defence.

It is noted that Russia continues to conscript soldiers every spring and fall. Thus, the next spring conscription this year began on April 1. Russia plans to draft about 150 thousand soldiers aged 18-30.

According to British intelligence, these conscripts will serve for 12 months in all branches of the Russian armed forces, but they are not currently involved in combat operations in Ukraine. Conscripts are deployed to garrisons across Russia.

At the same time, in land units they generally form a battalion separate from the battalions, staffed by conscripts, and some conscripts are likely to serve in units adjacent to the Ukrainian border.

"Russian forces in Ukraine are staffed by contract service soldiers and some reservists mobilized in late 2022. Conscript soldiers are commonly put under pressure to enlist as contract soldiers and would then be liable for service in Ukraine. There is likely to be some reluctance among Russian authorities to risk combat casualties among conscript soldiers, which would likely be unpopular. Casualties among volunteer soldiers are more tolerated by society," British intelligence emphasizes.

According to them, Russia is seeking to recruit about 400,000 contract soldiers this year to support its forces in Ukraine, which have suffered huge losses, and to support previously announced plans to increase the number of armed forces to 1.32 million this year and 1.5 million subsequently.

• On March 31, Russian dictator Vladimir Putin signed a decree on the spring conscription. 150,000 people aged 18 to 30 are to be drafted.