Russia continues to conscript soldiers each spring and autumn; the spring conscription commenced on April 1, 2024. Around 150,000 soldiers from the 18-30 age group are to be conscripted this spring, which is consistent with the numbers conscripted previously, the UK Defense Intelligence reports.
These conscripts will serve for 12 months, in all branches of russia’s military forces, but are currently not employed in combat roles in Ukraine. Conscripts are employed in garrisons across russia. In land units they generally form a battalion separate from the battalions staffed by contract service soldiers. Some conscript soldiers likely serve in russia adjacent to the Ukraine border in units providing border security.
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Russian forces in Ukraine are staffed by contract service soldiers and some reservists mobilized in late 2022. Conscript soldiers are commonly put under pressure to enlist as contract soldiers and would then be liable for service in Ukraine. There is likely to be some reluctance among russian authorities to risk combat casualties among conscript soldiers, which would likely be unpopular. Casualties among volunteer soldiers are more tolerated by society.
Russia seeks to recruit around 400,000 contract service personnel in 2024. This is to sustain its forces in Ukraine, which have suffered huge losses, and support its announced plans to increase the size of the armed forces to 1.32 million this year and 1.5 million subsequently.
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