Overview

• The Russian spring conscription campaign, running from April 1 to July 15, will draft 160,000 men aged 18 to 30, the largest since 2011.
• The Kremlin claims the conscription is unrelated to the Ukraine war and pledges that conscripts will not be sent to the front lines, though skepticism persists due to past practices.
• Ukraine alleges that the draft is part of Russia’s preparations for new military offensives in the Sumy, Kharkiv, and Zaporizhzhia regions.
• Independent reports confirm over 100,000 Russian soldiers have been killed since the invasion began, while Ukraine has reported over 46,000 troop deaths as of February 2025.
• U.S.-mediated ceasefire talks between Russia and Ukraine remain stalled, with both sides accusing each other of using negotiations as a strategic delay tactic.