Russia Launches Largest Conscription Drive Since 2012, Drafting 160,000 Young Men

The spring campaign introduces electronic summons via the Gosuslugi portal, reflecting a shift toward digitalization in military recruitment.

President Vladimir Putin signed a decree conscripting 160,000 men aged 18-30, the highest number since 2012 military reforms.
The conscription campaign, initiated on April 1, 2025, will run through mid-July and combines traditional paper summons with electronic notifications via the Gosuslugi portal.
This marks the first use of a centralized electronic database for military recruitment in Russia, leveraging a platform widely used for state services.
While conscripts are officially excluded from the Ukraine conflict, reports suggest their involvement in skirmishes near Russian border regions.
The campaign reflects Russia's ongoing efforts to expand its military, with personnel targets increasing to 2.4 million, including 1.5 million soldiers, since the Ukraine invasion in 2022.