Thursday, April 3, 2025 - Russian President, Vladimir Putin has launched one of the largest military conscription drives in recent years, calling up 160,000 men to join the Russian army. This move comes at a critical moment in Russia’s ongoing war in Ukraine as Moscow continues its push on the frontlines.
Putin signed a decree authorizing the new twice-yearly
conscription cycle, which began on April 1 and runs until July 15. According to
Russian state media TASS, this spring’s recruitment is 10,000 more than last
year and 15,000 higher than three years ago. The expansion aligns with Putin’s
broader military buildup, increasing Russia’s armed forces from 1 million
soldiers in 2022 to around 1.5 million today.
The timing of this conscription push is significant. Russia
has intensified its ground offensive in eastern Ukraine, particularly around
Donetsk, while Ukrainian forces continue to resist. Moscow has also relied on
North Korean reinforcements, with recent reports indicating that 3,000 more
North Korean soldiers have been deployed to support Russia’s war efforts.
Officially, Russian law prohibits conscripts from being sent
to combat zones without proper training. However, multiple reports suggest that
many are pressured or misled into signing contracts that lead to their
deployment to Ukraine. Others found themselves caught in the conflict last year
when Ukraine launched a surprise counterattack in Russia’s Kursk region.
Even as the war escalates, diplomatic efforts are underway.
Senior Russian negotiator Kirill Dmitriev is set to visit Washington, D.C.,
this week for high-level talks with Trump administration official Steve
Witkoff. This will be the first time a top Russian diplomat has visited the
U.S. since Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine.
US President Donald Trump has publicly urged Russia to agree
to an immediate ceasefire, but Putin rejected the request, adding that any
truce would require the lifting of U.S. sanctions. This latest move by Moscow
signals that Russia is not ready to back down and is instead ramping up its
military strength for the battles ahead.
As negotiations continue, the world
watches closely to see whether diplomacy or warfare will ultimately shape the
future of the Russia-Ukraine conflict.
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