Russian President Vladimir Putin has ordered the conscription of 135,000 men for routine military service from October 1st to December 31st, 2025, marking the country’s largest autumn call-up since 2016.
Men aged 18 to 30 are subject to compulsory service each spring and autumn, with conscripts typically serving one year at military bases within Russia.
While this autumn draft is part of routine military obligations and not a wartime mobilization, reports indicate that some conscripts have been sent to Ukraine’s front lines. Those with prior military training are more likely to be called up for combat duties in the future.
Combined with the 160,000 men drafted during the spring campaign, 2025 will see the highest total conscription in nearly a decade. Spring call-ups usually coincide with graduation periods from school and college.
Since the start of the Russia-Ukraine war in February 2022, Putin has placed Russia on a permanent war footing, increasing military spending to levels unseen since the Soviet era and steadily expanding the army. In 2024, he ordered the military expanded to 1.5 million active soldiers, making it one of the largest armies globally.
Conscription numbers have grown by an average of roughly 5% per year since 2022.
