Russia continues its military operations, especially in Ukraine, and the country's military recruitment policies and recruitment strategies are being closely monitored. From mandatory military conscription to the controversial involvement of teens, here is a detailed look at the latest updates on the Russian military as of July 26, 2025, focusing on military conscription, the number of young people in the military, and broader defense strategies. Understanding
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| Russian youth march in military training, reflecting intensified conscription efforts in 2025 |
Understanding Russia’s Conscription Policy
Russia's mandatory military service remains the cornerstone of its defense strategy, which requires all male citizens between the ages of 18 and 30 to serve 12 months in the armed forces. Russia's conscription policy has undergone significant changes in 2025 to meet manpower needs without causing widespread unrest. In March 2025, President Vladimir Putin signed an order for a spring conscription campaign, recruiting 160,000 men—the largest military order in more than a decade. This follows the conscription of 133,000 soldiers in autumn 2024 and reflects Russia's efforts to strengthen its military amid ongoing losses in Ukraine.
A notable change came in July 2025, when the State Duma proposed a year-round conscription system, moving away from the traditional spring and autumn conscription. This would allow the military to recruit more consistently, and more effectively target conscription evaders through a digital register introduced in 2023. The system, called Restorovstok, links conscription notices to government services, making it even more difficult for non-registers to evade conscription by restricting access to passports, licenses and jobs.
Are Teens Being Pulled into Russia’s Military
Concerns have grown over the recruitment of Russian teenagers and the conscription of Russian youth into the military, particularly in the occupied Ukrainian territories. Although the official recruitment age is 18, reports point to the recruitment of teenagers as young as 15 in places like Alabuga, Tatarstan, where Ukrainian teenagers are employed in drone manufacturing under exploitative conditions. These youths are exposed to political indoctrination, raising fears that they are being groomed for the roles of Russian teenage soldiers when they reach recruitment age.
In Russia, the Yunarmiya (Youth Army) program is expanding, with nearly 1 billion rubles ($12.18 million) allocated through 2025 to promote military-patriotic education among teenagers. The initiative, combined with a revised school curriculum that glorifies the war in Ukraine, aims to prepare young people for military service in Russia. Rights groups have documented reports of 18-year-old soldiers like Said Murtazaliyev from Dagestan being forced under pressure, sometimes torture, to sign military contracts and then being sent to the front lines.
Inside Russian Military Recruitment Strategies
The Russian military’s recruitment process is evolving to meet the needs of the long-running conflict. The Kremlin prefers contract soldiers over enlisted soldiers for combat roles , and gives them hefty sign-on bonuses—up to 3.1 million rubles ($38,020) in some regions—and salaries far above the national average. In July 2025, Putin signed an order allowing foreigners to join the Russian military during regular conscription, offering citizenship as an incentive. The move targets migrants in cities like Moscow to address domestic recruitment challenges.
However, deceptive practices are rampant. Recruiters often promise non-combat roles but end up sending volunteers to the front lines. The state-controlled unit, the Africa Corps , is also recruiting for missions abroad, with a possible deployment to Ukraine. These efforts reflect Russia's military strategy, which calls for maintaining an active reserve without resorting to politically risky mass movements.
Latest Russian Military Developments
in 2025 The Russian defense news landscape highlights technological and structural changes. Russia is investing in advanced weapons, including anti-drone systems such as the KS-172 missile and the Silent Hunter laser. The "Digital Sky of Russia" initiative aims to integrate air, space and cyberspace systems, responding to Ukraine's drone warfare advancements. Meanwhile, Andrei Belousov replacement of Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu in May 2024 signals a focus on economic efficiency to continue the war effort.
Despite these advances, Russia faces serious challenges. The military has lost an estimated 1,028,610 to 1,048,330 soldiers since February 2022, with an average of 1,000 casualties per day. High casualty tactics and a reliance on inadequately trained recruits underscore the pressure on Russian military service.
Russia’s Youth Draft and Social Impact
The conscription of youth and the widespread conscription system are extremely unpopular in Russia. More than 261,000 men fled during the 2022 partial mobilization, and conscription evasion remains a concern. New laws for 2025 have increased penalties, reduced medical exemptions, and extended the validity of conscription notices, making it even more difficult to avoid service. Young recruits, often aged 18–20, are deployed to border areas such as Kursk, where at least 25 people were killed during a Ukrainian incursion in August 2024, despite assurances they would not face combat.
Reports of growing social radicalization of Russian teenagers also include a growing trend of conscription. Programs such as Yunarmia and revised history textbooks aim to increase loyalty among young people, but have also been criticized for militarizing education. The forced recruitment of Ukrainian civilians, including teenagers, in the occupied territories has been labelled a war crime by groups such as Human Rights Watch.
What’s Next for Russia’s Military
The latest developments in the Russian military point to a strategy of flexibility amid growing pressures. Russian defense policy prioritizes technological innovation and centralized control, with the 2025-2027 budget allocating 17 trillion rubles ($165 billion) for defense - 41% of annual expenditure. However, demographic challenges such as aging military personnel and military conscription avoidance complicate recruitment efforts. The maximum age for conscription has been raised to 30 years in 2024, and further reforms are expected to expand the reserve army.
For those interested in learning more about current events in Russia or Russian military conscription news, the situation remains fluid. The Kremlin's focus on contract soldiers, foreign recruits, and training young people reflects a long-term effort to maintain its military ambitions, but it comes at a significant human and social cost.
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