One of Russia’s largest military recruitment rounds is underway, while President Vladimir Putin advances with an expansion of the country’s military forces at a crucial moment in the war in Ukraine.
Putin signed a decree authorizing the latest phase of the country’s semiannual recruitment effort, with the new window starting this week and operating until July 15.
About 160,000 men between 18 and 30 years old will join the Russian Armed Forces – a 10,000 increase in last year’s spring campaign, and an increase of over 15,000 compared to three years ago, according to Tass.
The impulse of recruitment is not new, and Tass reported that the increase is caused by Putin’s efforts to increase the size of the Russian army as a whole; The country had 1 million military personnel three years ago, but now it is about 1.5 million.
But the new impulse also comes in a vital crossroads in the Russian War in Ukraine. Moscow has had the assistance of North Korean soldiers to repel Kiev’s advances in the Kursk region of Russia, and has constantly advanced on the ground in the East Ukraine while the US trying to negotiate negotiations that would end the conflict.
The Russian law prohibits the sending of recruits for compulsory service to active combat zones without proper training. Although the official position is that recruits are not sent to Ukraine, reports of recruits have emerged being pressured or induced to sign contracts that result in their placement on the front lines in Ukraine. Others turned under attack when Kiev launched his surprise foray into the Russian Kursk region in August 2024.
Russian troops continue to attack the Pokrovsk area in Donetsk in recent weeks, and have launched air attacks against Ukrainian cities, even while discussions with the US continues.
Russian negotiator Kirill Dmitiev is expected to visit Washington this week to meet Trump’s high employee Steve Witkoff to talk about strengthening relations between the two countries while they seek to end the war in Ukraine, according to a US employee and two sources familiar with the plans.
His visit has been at the first time a high Russian employee visited Washington, DC, for negotiations since Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022 and marks an additional step in warming in relations between the two countries since President Donald Trump returned to office in January.
Putin not only rejected Trump’s recent appeal to an immediate ceasefire in Ukraine, but also added conditions-including the removal of US sanctions-to a ceasefire on Black Sea fighting after last week’s latest negotiations were completed.
This content was originally published in Putin summons 160,000 men to the Army, critical of the war on CNN Brazil.
Source: CNN Brasil
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