{"id":1346132,"date":"2026-01-19T12:11:12","date_gmt":"2026-01-19T10:11:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/prm.ua\/a-million-recruits-a-year-how-the-kremlin-conducts-covert-mobilization-through-the-wto\/"},"modified":"2026-01-20T08:25:19","modified_gmt":"2026-01-20T06:25:19","slug":"a-million-recruits-a-year-how-the-kremlin-conducts-covert-mobilization-through-the-wto","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/prm.ua\/en\/a-million-recruits-a-year-how-the-kremlin-conducts-covert-mobilization-through-the-wto\/","title":{"rendered":"The Silent Draft: How the Kremlin Recruits a Million Soldiers in Plain Sight"},"content":{"rendered":"

As of January 1, 2026, Russia shifted to year-round conscription, replenishing its forces with what officials describe as \u201cnew blood.\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n

Under the new law, effective January 1, 2026, conscription will be conducted on a year-round basis, eliminating the traditional division between spring and autumn draft campaigns. The bill was introduced by Andrey Kartapolov, chairman of the State Duma Defence Committee, and his first deputy, Andrey Krasov.<\/p>\n

Because Russian legislation is formally extended to occupied territories, the same policy threatens men of draft age in the occupied parts of the Kherson, Zaporizhzhia, Donetsk, and Luhansk regions, as well as in Crimea.<\/p>\n

As a result, all men aged 18 to 30 living in the temporarily occupied territories (TOT) are now at risk. The occupying authorities are compiling a unified population registry to track addresses, monitor movements, and maintain detailed personal records.<\/p>\n

In the occupied parts of the Luhansk and Donetsk regions\u2014where metallurgical plants and coal mines were looted or effectively destroyed following Russia\u2019s so-called \u201cliberation\u201d\u2014Russian recruiters are exploiting the resulting economic collapse, leaving conscription as one of the few remaining means of survival.<\/p>\n

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People are effectively forced to sign contracts with the Russian Ministry of Defense to avoid economic dead ends.<\/p>\n

An estimated 60 percent enlist not out of ideological conviction, but because employment opportunities have collapsed in the occupied territories. Industry has been shut down, legal sources of income have disappeared, and the occupation authorities have artificially created a single viable option: signing a contract with the Ministry of Defence. The working-age population is unable to realize its potential or support families and is left with no practical alternative.<\/p>\n

At the same time, the Russian president signed a law allowing reservists to be assigned to the protection of strategic sites, including military and energy facilities<\/p>\n

This followed an October decision by the State Duma to expand the scope of reservists\u2019 duties. Together, these measures form a hybrid mobilization system that could replenish the Russian armed forces with at least one million personnel within a year.<\/p>\n

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On October 13 last year, a Russian government commission cleared a draft law proposed by the Ministry of Defence for submission to the State Duma.<\/p>\n

The bill would permit personnel from Russia\u2019s mobilization reserve to undertake so-called \u201cdefensive missions\u201d during armed conflicts, counterterrorism operations, or troop deployments outside Russia.<\/p>\n

Commenting on the decree signed by the Russian president, Kyrylo Budanov, head of Ukraine\u2019s Defence Intelligence (HUR), said the government\u2019s approval of legislation enabling the use of reservists for \u201cdefensive tasks\u201d abroad signals the Kremlin\u2019s preparation for covert mobilization.<\/p>\n

This effectively enables a hidden partial mobilization. \u201dEveryone needs to understand this,\u201d Budanov said. \u201cThe reason is obvious: excessive losses. They need to be offset somehow. The authorities keep increasing one-time payments, but steps like these show that financial incentives no longer meet their needs.\u201d<\/p>\n

The occupied territories will not be exempt. In the Luhansk region, Russian forces have already begun mobilizing the first reservists, officially claiming they are being deployed solely to protect infrastructure.<\/p>\n

According to the occupation authorities, reservists may be assigned to so-called \u201cspecial assemblies\u201d tasked with guarding critical infrastructure\u2014including energy facilities, transport hubs, and oil refineries\u2014within their region. Their stated role is air defence against drones. As with other such deployments, the call-up of reservists will be authorized by a decree from the occupying forces\u2019 General Staff.<\/p>\n

The exact number of Ukrainians forcibly conscripted into the Russian army since the beginning of the full-scale invasion is impossible to determine. According to the Coordination Headquarters for the Treatment of Prisoners of War, the number stands at 46,327, while the Main Intelligence Directorate of the Ukrainian Ministry of Defence reports 60,000. The largest share\u2014over 35,000\u2014comes from Crimea, including more than 5,000 in Sevastopol and a similar number in the occupied part of Donetsk Oblast.<\/p>\n

Thus, the Kremlin not only compensates for the catastrophic losses of the Russian army but also addresses demographic issues in the occupied territories, removing a potentially disloyal population.<\/p>\n

Forced mobilization is another manifestation of Russia\u2019s genocidal policy against Ukraine. Moreover, Russians are sending mobilized men to fight against Ukraine without any specialized military training.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe first task Russia has set for itself is to \u2018cleanse\u2019 the temporarily occupied territories of the Ukrainian population,\u201d stated Andrei Chernyak, a representative of Ukraine\u2019s Defence Intelligence (HUR).<\/p>\n

Russian citizens from economically disadvantaged regions and migrant workers are replacing the local population.\u00a0 These processes are rapidly slipping beyond any oversight.\u00a0 In the occupied Luhansk and Donetsk regions, the concept of \u201cwomen\u2019s villages\u201d has emerged\u2014settlements almost entirely devoid of men. The situation is critical even at essential infrastructure facilities, where there are no maintenance personnel. Coal mining companies are hiring women in large numbers to fill traditionally male roles, highlighting the severe shortage of skilled male workers.<\/p>\n

The occupiers are currently attempting to recruit as many men of draft age as possible, conducting intensive military registration that begins with those still in school.<\/p>\n

\nThe main reason for the high casualties is the Ukrainian forces’ massive use of drones, which effectively destroys both armoured vehicles and personnel. Against this backdrop, the Ukrainian side has a proven strategy for countering the enemy’s superior manpower.<\/p>\n

Let\u2019s analyze the dynamics of Russian troop recruitment and losses. From January to November 2025, 336,000 personnel signed contracts with the Russian army. Meanwhile, British intelligence estimates Russian losses over the same period at 353,000. As a result, the death toll exceeds the recruitment capacity, despite monetary incentives ranging from 2 to 6 million rubles depending on the region. The program primarily targets economically depressed Russian areas.<\/p>\n

The Russian Ministry of Defense expected to receive 30,000-50,000 new troops monthly without declaring mobilization.<\/p>\n

However, the colossal losses preclude the possibility of compensation even from contract soldiers and special contingents\u2014prisoners recruited by decree, which allows contracts to be concluded directly in the courtroom.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

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