Putin's largest draft yet: 150,000 conscripts enlisted
Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a decree on Monday establishing the spring military draft. According to the independent Russian portal Meduza, approximately 150,000 conscripts are expected to join the army.
The draft will run from the 1st of April to the 15th of July and will be the largest spring draft in Russia since the beginning of Russia's full-scale aggression against Ukraine. In 2022, 134,500 people joined the Russian army in the spring; a year later, 147,000 conscripts were enlisted; and in 2024, the draft included 150,000 young men. The spring draft in Russia marks the beginning of Russia's full-scale aggression against Ukraine. According to new regulations introduced in Russia last year, citizens aged 18 to 30 will be called up for military service.
The Meduza portal emphasises that the increase in the number of conscripts is related to Putin's decrees on gradually increasing the size of the Russian army. At the beginning of 2022, Russia had about one million soldiers, but within three years, the size of the Russian army increased to one and a half million people.
At the beginning of February 2025, the Russian Ministry of Defence implemented amendments to the regulations on military medical examinations, significantly changing the procedure for examining military personnel and conscripts. The Russian portal reminds its readers that as a result of these changes, it is becoming increasingly difficult in Russia to obtain exemption from mandatory military service on health grounds.
Peace talks still without results
Last week, Russian-American and Ukrainian-American talks took place in Saudi Arabia. The result was an agreement by both parties to the conflict to cease fire in the Black Sea, but over time, Russia declared it would not enter this agreement unless the West lifted some of the sanctions imposed on it.
Last Friday, Vladimir Putin suggested placing Ukraine under temporary administration before peace talks. Putin stated that a temporary administration could be instituted in Ukraine "under the auspices of the UN, the USA, European countries, and our partners." This would lead to elections and the formation of a government to then "start negotiations on a peace treaty." The American side rejected this Kremlin plan.
Despite the declarations of Donald Trump’s administration and attempts to reach a ceasefire in Ukraine, no breakthrough has been achieved 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. At the same time, Zelenskyy thanked the countries that understand this and have tightened the sanctions on Russia.
