Ukraine war: Russia to begin spring military draft amid mobilisation fears

Vladimir Putin issued a decree last year that ordered the overall size of the army be increased to 1.32 million troops, from its previous level of 1.15 million

Russian men aged between 18 and 30 are eligible to be called up after lawmakers increased the upper age limit from 27 last year. Military service lasts 12 months

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Russian conscripts called up for military service line up before their departure for garrisons as they gather at a recruitment centre in Simferopol, Crimea on April 25, 2023. Signs on bags read: “Army of Russia”. Photo: Reuters

Published: 7:44pm, 29 Mar 2024Updated: 7:53pm, 29 Mar 2024

Russia will begin calling up tens of thousands of soldiers next week in a conscription drive to replenish its armed forces and build up its military reserves.

Moscow says conscripts are not sent to fight in Ukraine, but the draft – which happens twice a year – comes amid persistent rumours of a new wave of mobilisation for the Ukraine offensive.

“The spring draft will be held from April 1,” deputy head of the defence ministry’s mobilisation department, Rear Admiral Vladimir Tsimlyansky, said in a briefing on Friday.

“Conscripts will not be sent to the armed forces’ deployment points in the new regions of Russia – the Donetsk and Luhansk People’s Republics, Kherson and Zaporizhzhia regions – or [be sent] to perform tasks of the special military operation,” he added, using Russia’s official language for its offensive against Ukraine.

Moscow unilaterally annexed the four Ukrainian regions in 2022 and has pressurised their residents to take Russian citizenship.

Some 147,000 conscripts were drafted during last year’s spring call-ups. The army did not say how many it was targeting this year.

Russian men aged between 18 and 30 are eligible to be called up after lawmakers increased the upper age limit from 27 last year.

Military service lasts 12 months.