MOSCOW, Russia – Russian President Vladimir Putin has authorized the conscription of 160,000 additional troops into the military, marking the largest such call-up in over a decade.
The decree, announced on Monday, March 31, 2025, and reported by Kyiv Independent, applies to Russian citizens between the ages of 18 and 30, making this the first conscription of this scale since 2011.
The Russian government’s legal announcements website published the decree, which states that “soldiers, sailors, sergeants, and non-commissioned officers whose conscripted military service has expired” will also be discharged from service.
The conscription process will take place in the spring, in line with Russia’s traditional biannual conscription periods.
This announcement comes on the heels of Russia’s autumn conscription from October to December 2024, which saw 133,000 recruits sent to serve for one year.
In January, Putin signed a law increasing the maximum conscription age from 27 to 30, which broadens the pool of potential recruits for future call-ups.
Russian media reports indicate that as of December 2024, staffing in Russia’s armed forces has reached nearly 2.4 million, with 1.5 million military personnel actively serving.
This expansion of the Russian military comes amid ongoing conflict with Ukraine, as the Kremlin continues to face strong international condemnation for its actions in the region.
In related developments, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova has strongly opposed the potential deployment of Western peacekeepers to Ukraine.
Zakharova warned that such a move could escalate tensions into a direct confrontation between Russia and NATO.
She also accused the United Kingdom and France of plotting military intervention under the guise of peacekeeping.
These remarks come as French President Emmanuel Macron hosted a summit in Paris with leaders from nearly 30 countries, alongside NATO and EU officials, to discuss increased support for Ukraine.
The summit’s key focus was the potential deployment of European troops to Ukraine as part of a broader peace agreement, referred to as the “Coalition of the Willing.”
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, speaking at the summit, called for European unity in defending against Russian aggression.
He emphasized the importance of long-term security guarantees to ensure Ukraine’s future defense amid continued conflict with Russia.
