The Russian Federation plans to recruit about 400,000 more military personnel for contract service in 2024, according to British intelligence.

A report published on the social network X of the Ministry of Defense of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland on Wednesday says that «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.”

British intelligence also notes that Russian troops in Ukraine are staffed by contract soldiers and some reservists mobilized at the end of 2022. Conscript soldiers are usually pressured to enlist under a contract, and then they will be required to serve in Ukraine.

It is stated that “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. 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.”