Moscow wants to recruit 400,000 contract service members this year – UK intel

The British Defense Ministry said this in an intelligence update published on X, Ukrinform reports.

Russia continues to conscript soldiers each spring and autumn; the spring conscription commenced on April 1, 2024. Around 150,000 soldiers from the 18-30 age group are to be conscripted this spring, which is consistent with the numbers conscripted previously.

According to intelligence, these conscripts will serve for 12 months, in all branches of Russia's military forces, but are currently not employed in combat roles in Ukraine. Conscripts are employed in garrisons across Russia.

At the same time, some conscript soldiers likely serve in Russia adjacent to the Ukraine border in units providing border security.

According to British intelligence, Russian forces in Ukraine are staffed by contract service soldiers and some reservists mobilized in late 2022.

"Conscript soldiers are commonly put under pressure to enlist as contract soldiers and would then be liable for service in Ukraine. There is likely to be some reluctance among Russian authorities to risk combat casualties among conscript soldiers, which would likely be unpopular. Casualties among volunteer soldiers are more tolerated by [Russian] society," the update said.

"Russia seeks to recruit around 400,000 contract service personnel in 2024. This is to sustain its forces in Ukraine, which have suffered huge losses, and support its announced plans to increase the size of the armed forces to 1.32 million this year and 1.5 million subsequently," British intelligence said.

Russia's overall combat losses in Ukraine from February 24, 2022 to April 10, 2024 have already reached about 450,080 troops, including 830 killed or wounded in action on April 9.