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Over a Million Lost, 30,000 Recruits a Month—Russia Still Calls It a Strategy
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![Photo of Ivan Khomenko]( "Photo of Ivan Khomenko")
Deputy Chairman of Russia’s Security Council Dmitry Medvedev announced that over 210,000 individuals have joined the Russian Armed Forces under contract since the beginning of 2025.
According to his statement, this represents an average of approximately 30,000 new contract soldiers per month. Medvedev also noted that more than 18,000 individuals have joined volunteer formations.
The focus on recruitment comes as Russia continues to face heavy personnel losses in Ukraine. According to the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, Russia has lost approximately 1,023,090 military personnel since the start of the full-scale invasion in February 2022. Ukrainian officials reported an additional 1,000 Russian troops eliminated in the past 24 hours alone.
In May, Vladimir Putin claimed that Russia was adding between 50,000 and 60,000 new troops monthly—figures that significantly exceed those cited by Medvedev.
The Kremlin has not clarified the discrepancy between the two statements. The Russian Ministry of Defense has also not issued any public comment reconciling the figures.
According to Medvedev, the current pace of recruitment is evidence of effective force generation. However, Western intelligence assessments, including those from the UK and US, continue to question the sustainability of Russia’s military recruitment efforts in the context of high attrition rates and prolonged operations in Ukraine.
While Russia maintains that contract military service is voluntary, human rights groups and local media outlets have reported increased pressure on men to enlist, particularly in economically disadvantaged regions. Regional administrations have intensified outreach through advertising campaigns and direct contact with draft-age residents.
Despite Putin’s public rejection of a new wave of mass mobilization, reports from Russian and international outlets suggest that regional authorities continue to receive unofficial enlistment targets. Analysts have noted that earlier claims of up to 60,000 new recruits per month raised concerns over Russia’s ability to train, equip, and deploy such a large volume of personnel.
Earlier, Russian authorities launched a covert mobilization campaign in Dagestan, where young men were detained during street patrols and document checks under the pretext of a routine draft. Those without deferments were reportedly taken directly to enlistment offices and sent to military units within days, reflecting increased reliance on forced recruitment in regions seen as less likely to resist.
