Putin's decree: Russia ups military draft to 150,000 conscripts
The President of Russia, Vladimir Putin, signed a decree on Monday concerning the spring draft for military service. According to the independent Russian portal Meduza, 150,000 conscripts are expected to join the military.
The draft will last from April 1 to July 15 and will be the largest spring draft in Russia since the onset of its full-scale aggression against Ukraine. In 2022, 134,500 individuals were drafted into the Russian army in the spring. A year later, 147,000 conscripts were enlisted, and in 2024, the draft included 150,000 young men. As per the new regulations introduced in Russia last year, citizens aged 18 to 30 will be called up for military service.
The Meduza portal highlights that the increase in the number of conscripts relates to Putin's decrees on gradually expanding the size of the Russian army. In early 2022, Russia had about one million soldiers, but over the years, the army has grown to one and a half million people.
In early February 2025, the Russian Ministry of Defense introduced amendments to the regulations on military medical examinations, significantly altering the procedures for military personnel and conscripts. The Russian portal notes that due to these changes, it has become increasingly difficult in Russia to obtain an exemption from mandatory military service on health grounds.
Peace talks still yield no results
Last week, Russian-American and Ukrainian-American talks took place in Saudi Arabia. They resulted in a temporary agreement for a ceasefire in the Black Sea, but subsequently, Russia stated it would not agree to this arrangement unless the West lifted some of the sanctions imposed on it.
Last Friday, Vladimir Putin proposed putting Ukraine under temporary administration before peace talks. He suggested that this administration could be introduced in Ukraine "under the auspices of the UN, USA, European countries, and our partners." This would lead to elections and the formation of a government to then "begin negotiations on a peace treaty." The American side rejected this Kremlin plan.
Despite declarations from Donald Trump's administration and efforts to achieve a ceasefire in Ukraine, no breakthrough has been reached so far.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy expressed frustration last Saturday over the prolonged lack of response from Russia to the American ceasefire proposal. He emphasized that the ceasefire could have already been implemented if there had been enough pressure on Russia. Meanwhile, Zelensky thanked the countries that understand this and have tightened sanctions on Russia.
