Putin orders conscription of 160,000 troops to strengthen war effort in Ukraine

Vladimir Putin, Russian President has authorised the conscription of 160,000 men to strengthen Russia’s efforts in the ongoing war with Ukraine, according to Russian state media outlet TASS.

According to the decree, published on the Russian government’s legal website, 160,000 men between the ages of 18 and 30 will be drafted into the armed forces. That’s 10,000 more than last year and over 15,000 more than three years ago, making it the largest draft of its kind since 2011, according to Russian state media outlet TASS.

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The decree also states that “soldiers, sailors, sergeants and non-commissioned officers whose conscripted military service has expired” will be discharged from military service.

TASS reports that the increase in conscription is part of Putin’s broader push to expand Russia’s military. The country had about 1 million military personnel three years ago but now has around 1.5 million.

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The renewed push comes at a critical juncture in Russia’s war against Ukraine. Moscow has been leveraging support from North Korean soldiers to counter Kyiv’s advances in Russia’s Kursk region while steadily gaining ground in eastern Ukraine. Meanwhile, the U.S. is working to facilitate negotiations aimed at ending the conflict.

Russian law prohibits sending conscripts drafted for mandatory service to active combat zones without proper training. While the official stance is that conscripts are not sent to Ukraine, reports by CNN have it that conscripts are being pressured or misled into signing contracts that result in their deployment to the front lines in Ukraine. Others found themselves under attack when Kyiv launched its surprise incursion into Russia’s Kursk region in August 2024.

Krill Dmitriev, Senior Russian negotiator is expected to visit Washington this week to meet with top Trump official Steve Witkoff for talks on strengthening relations between the two countries as they seek to end the war in Ukraine