“From January 1 to May 19, 117,400 people were accepted into the armed forces under contract and as part of volunteer training,” Medvedev said at a meeting on military conscription.
Medvedev, who is currently the number two on the Russian Security Council, welcomed the “continuation of work” to increase the number of the army “in the framework of the instructions issued by (President Vladimir Putin) on the matter “.
The Russian army suffered heavy losses in Ukraine, which prompted it to renew many of its ranks, despite the fact that the matter was kept secret by the military hierarchy.
Anticipating a major counterattack by Ukrainian forces, Moscow has launched a massive recruitment campaign in recent weeks.
The authorities have not released precise figures, but some media have reported that the army hopes to recruit hundreds of thousands of people by offering contracts on attractive terms.
The campaign is taking place on social media, while multiple posters promoting the military have appeared on the streets of Russian cities.
Moscow had organized the first “partial” mobilization of at least 300 men last September, causing tens of thousands of others to flee abroad because they refused to go to fight.
At the end of December 2022, the Russian Minister of Defense Sergei Shoigu considered “necessary” to increase the number of the Russian army to 1.5 million soldiers – “including 695,000 subcontractors” – more than the objective of 1.15 million set by President Vladimir Putin in August. .
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