Overview
- ISW, citing a Russian insider, reports about 292,000 contract recruits in 2025, with many held back since July to form a strategic reserve.
- The Ukrainian General Staff says Russian monthly losses dropped to 29,000 in August and about 13,000 by mid-September.
- Analysts assess a shift from mass assaults to smaller infiltration groups intended to conserve forces while pressing the front.
- Russia’s Defense Ministry announced an autumn call-up from October 1 to December 31 with 12-month conscription terms.
- Ukrainian intelligence alleges at least 20,000 Cuban men have been recruited to fight for Russia, a claim not publicly verified.