Russia begins largest military draft in more than a decade

Apr 2

Listen

Craig Nigrelli Anchor

By Craig Nigrelli (Anchor), Evan Hummel (Producer), Jack Henry (Video Editor)

Russian President Vladimir Putin is building up his military by drafting more men than he has since 2011. The move comes as more Russian men try to avoid military service and as losses from the war in Ukraine mount.
The pool of eligible draftees is up by 10,000 men compared to the same time last year.
The move comes as Baltic NATO nations have expressed fear over “Russian aggression,” and amid ceasefire talks brokered by the United States.

Full Story

Russia aims to bulk up its military by drafting 160,000 men between the ages of 18 and 30.

Bias Distribution Powered by Ground News™

The call-up is Moscow’s largest since 2011, coming just months after Russian President Vladimir Putin vowed to increase the overall size of his military by hundreds of thousands of service members.

Download the SAN app today to stay up-to-date with Unbiased. Straight Facts™.

Point phone camera here

How does it compare to previous drafts?

The 160,000 in the current draft is 10,000 higher than last year during the same period.

Russian officials said the new conscripts will not be fighting in Ukraine. The promise comes as some conscripts were reportedly killed fighting along Russia’s border, and others were sent to Ukraine during the early months of the war.

The current draft will take place from April until July.

Why now?

Since early last year, the pool of men available for conscription has increased as Russia raised the maximum age from 27 to 30.

The increase comes as a growing number of Russians are trying to avoid joining the military and as Moscow has reportedly lost more than 100,000 soldiers to the war in Ukraine. However, according to a BBC analysis, the actual number may be twice as high.

Russia has attempted to make up for those losses through its twice-yearly draft and by bringing in thousands of North Korean troops.

What is the bigger picture?

Moscow’s call-up comes as the United States attempts to broker a ceasefire between Russia and Ukraine, which led to President Donald Trump expressing frustration with Putin over a lack of progress in negotiations.

Putin has increased the size of his military three times since he sent troops to Ukraine in February 2022.

Russia also said the December 2023 build-up was to combat “growing threats” from the war in Ukraine and the “ongoing expansion of NATO.”

How have other countries responded?

Finland, Poland and the Baltic states recently pulled out of the Ottawa Convention, which bans anti-personal landmines (APLs), citing Russian aggression as it increases its military size.

Tags: Donald Trump, Kremlin, Military Defense, Moscow, Russia, Russia-Ukraine War, Russian Defense Ministry, Ukraine, Ukraine aid, Ukraine Defense Ministry, Vladimir Putin, Volodymyr Zelenskyy

[CRAIG NIGRELLI]

RUSSIA IS AIMING TO BULK UP ITS MILITARY BY DRAFTING 160-THOUSAND MEN BETWEEN THE AGES OF 18-TO-30.

THE CALL UP IS MOSCOW’S LARGEST SINCE SINCE 2011, COMING JUST MONTHS AFTER KREMLIN LEADER VLADIMIR PUTIN VOWED TO INCREASE THE OVERALL SIZE OF HIS MILITARY BY HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS OF SERVICE MEMBERS.

THE 160-THOUSAND IN THE CURRENT DRAFT IS 10-THOUSAND HIGHER THAN LAST YEAR DURING THE SAME TIME PERIOD.

RUSSIAN OFFICIALS SAY THE NEW CONSCRIPTS WILL NOT BE FIGHTING IN UKRAINE.

THE PROMISE COMES AS SOME CONSCRIPTS WERE REPORTEDLY KILLED FIGHTING ALONG RUSSIA’S BORDER AND OTHERS WERE SENT TO FIGHT IN UKRAINE DURING THE EARLY MONTHS OF THE WAR.

THE CURRENT DRAFT WILL TAKE PLACE BETWEEN THIS MONTH AND JULY.

SINCE EARLY LAST YEAR, THE POOL OF MEN AVAILABLE FOR CONSCRIPTION INCREASED AS RUSSIA RAISED THE MAXIMUM AGE FROM 27 TO 30.

THE MOVE COMES AS A GROWING NUMBER OF RUSSIANS ARE TRYING TO AVOID JOINING THE MILITARY AND AS MOSCOW HAS REPORTEDLY LOST MORE THAN 100-THOUSAND SOLDIERS TO THE WAR IN UKRAINE, THOUGH, THE TRUE NUMBER MAY BE TWICE THAT, ACCORDING TO A B-B-C ANALYSIS.

RUSSIA HAS ATTEMPTED TO MAKE UP FOR THOSE LOSSES THROUGH ITS TWICE-YEARLY DRAFT AND BY BRINGING IN THOUSANDS OF TROOPS FROM NORTH KOREA.

MOSCOW’S CALL-UP COMES AS THE U-S ATTEMPTS TO BROKER A CEASEFIRE BETWEEN RUSSIA AND UKRAINE, WHICH LED TO PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP EXPRESSING FRUSTRATION WITH PUTIN OVER A LACK OF PROGRESS IN NEGOTIATIONS.

PUTIN HAS INCREASED THE SIZE OF HIS MILITARY THREE TIMES SINCE HE SENT TROOPS TO UKRAINE IN FEBRUARY 2022.

RUSSIA ALSO SAYS THE DECEMBER 2023 BUILD UP WAS TO COMBAT “GROWING THREATS” FROM THE WAR IN UKRAINE AND THE “ONGOING EXPANSION OF NATO.”

FINLAND, POLAND AND OTHER BALTIC STATES RECENTLY PULLED OUT OF THE OTTAWA CONVENTION BANNING ANTI-PERSONAL MINES, CITING RUSSIAN AGGRESSION AS IT INCREASES ITS MILITARY SIZE.

FOR MORE ON THIS STORY– DOWNLOAD THE STRAIGHT ARROW NEWS APP OR VISIT SAN DOT COM.