Russian President Vladimir Putin has ordered the conscription of 160,000 men aged 18-30, marking the country’s largest spring draft in over a decade. This move follows Putin’s plan to increase Russia’s military to 2.39 million personnel, with active servicemen rising to 1.5 million over the next three years.
Despite official claims that conscripts will not be sent to Ukraine, reports indicate some have been killed in border fighting. The draft, running from April to July, is 10,000 higher than the same period in 2024. Russia has also expanded its recruitment pool by raising the maximum conscription age from 27 to 30 and has recruited contract soldiers and troops from North Korea.
Meanwhile, the war in Ukraine continues, with Russian forces capturing a village in Donetsk and striking a power facility in Kherson, leaving 45,000 Ukrainians without electricity. Moscow attributes its military expansion to NATO’s growth, citing security threats. Finland, which now shares NATO’s longest border with Russia, has responded by increasing defense spending and lifting restrictions on anti-personnel mines, aligning with other Eastern European nations facing Russian aggression.
