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Russia Increases Military Reserve Training Involving Over 140,000 Troops
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Russia has trained more than 140,000 personnel in its military reserve regiments and training grounds since the beginning of the year.
Russian Deputy Defense Minister Yunus-Bek Yevkurov announced these numbers during a meeting of the Ministry of Defense board, noting that the training was conducted by specialized combat instructors across various military facilities and tactical positions, according to The Moscow Times on July 17.
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To reach this level of preparation, the Russian military conducted more than 40 practical events in the first half of 2026. Yevkurov noted that 107 combat commanders from assault units were brought into the training process on a rotational basis for the first time.
This was done for the “operational introduction of combat experience,” and these commanders adjusted the training programs for small tactical groups to reflect current combat experiences.
Additionally, the Russian Deputy Defense Minister announced that the number of military occupational specialties taught by DOSAAF, a state-backed paramilitary youth organization, has increased from 20 to 30. Yevkurov added that “special attention is paid to organizing training for operators to manage ground and maritime robotic complexes.”
At the end of last year, Russian leader Vladimir Putin signed a law allowing the Ministry of Defense to access a 2-million-person mobilization reserve.
While authorities previously claimed that these reservists, who are individuals who served in the army and signed a contract to remain in the reserve, would only protect critical infrastructure sites, the text of the law allows for their deployment outside of Russia.
This year, authorities began demanding that businesses help fill the mobilization reserve, issuing fines to companies that failed to meet their designated quotas.
Fined entities included the Kirov-based enterprise Lepse, as well as the Selmash and Mayak factories. Employers responded by noting a lack of individuals willing to join the mobilization reserve and pointed toward constitutional provisions.
In July, Gazprom signed a contract with the Ministry of Defense to establish mobile firing groups to protect its facilities, following earlier volunteer recruitment announcements for similar units by authorities in the Leningrad region.
Previously, it was reported that Russia may be preparing a new wave of mobilization. Ongoing heavy losses and a stalled offensive have fueled expectations in Moscow that a large-scale conscription drive could be launched later this year.
According to these reports, the resulting pressure is already being felt within military enlistment offices.
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