**President Putin has initiated Russia's largest military conscription since 2011, calling up 160,000 men despite ongoing conflicts in Ukraine and NATO's expansion.**
**Putin Expands Russian Military Conscription Amid Ongoing Conflict**
**Putin Expands Russian Military Conscription Amid Ongoing Conflict**
**Spring draft calls up 160,000 young men as Russia aims to bolster its military operations.**
In a significant move, President Vladimir Putin has announced a call-up of 160,000 Russian men aged 18-30 for military service, marking the largest conscription in over a decade. This current draft, set to take place between April and July, plays a crucial role in Putin's plan to increase the military size to 2.39 million personnel, with 1.5 million active servicemen targeted within three years. This new initiative comes on the heels of an earlier announcement that called for a rise of 180,000 troops to address the needs of an increasingly demanding military landscape.
Vice Adm. Vladimir Tsimlyansky has emphasized that these new conscripts will not be deployed to fight in Ukraine during what Moscow refers to as its "special military operation." However, conflicting accounts suggest that some conscripts have faced deadly circumstances in the ongoing conflict, particularly within Russia's border regions, leading to a rise in casualties akin to the earlier months of the full-scale war.
This draft, exceeding last year's numbers by 10,000, occurs against the backdrop of heightened military engagements, including reports of Russian offensives causing power outages for tens of thousands in Ukrainian cities. The ongoing violence persists despite international efforts aimed at reaching a ceasefire.
In addition to convening conscripts through traditional mail and the government services website, the expanded draft reflects both the urgency of recruitment and an adjustment in the eligibility age for conscription, which has now been raised from 27 to 30. Alongside the regular twice-yearly drafts, Russia has also enlisted numerous contract soldiers and recruited personnel from North Korea.
As Moscow seeks to recover from substantial military losses in Ukraine, which independent estimates suggest could exceed 200,000 casualties, the Kremlin has responded by increasing its military capabilities. Since the onset of the invasion in February 2022, Putin has amplified military strength on three separate occasions, correlating the need for expansion to growing concerns over perceived threats from the ongoing conflict and NATO’s expansion.
Amid these developments, Finland has signaled plans to bolster its military readiness by increasing defense spending and potentially resuming the use of anti-personnel mines. This shift follows a response to perceived threats from Russia, further complicating the regional security dynamics in light of the war in Ukraine.
