Putin orders 160,000 new conscripts as Ukraine warns Russia prepares offensives on three Ukrainian fronts

Russian President Vladimir Putin has signed a decree on the spring military draft, calling up 160,000 Russians aged 18 to 30 for service, according to the Russian state news agency TASS. On 27 March, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that Russia is preparing for new offensives in the Sumy, Kharkiv, and Zaporizhzhia oblasts. He called on partner countries to maintain sanctions against Russia and develop a collective plan for deploying guarantee forces.

"From 1 April to 15 July 2025, conscription will be carried out for citizens of the Russian Federation aged 18 to 30 who are not in the reserves and are subject to military service under Federal Law No. 53-FZ 'On Military Duty and Military Service' of 28 March 1998," the decree states.

Earlier, Ukrainian Colonel Vadym Mysnyk, the spokesperson for the Siversk operational-tactical grouping, said Russian troops concentrated most of their forces near Sumy Oblast. He specified that the occupiers primarily employ FPV drones of various types, unmanned aerial vehicle-dropped munitions, strike drones, and guided aerial bombs in the region. Also, on 28 March, Russian troops attempted an assault on the Kupiansk front in Kharkiv Oblast but faced a crushing defeat as Ukrainian forces destroyed their armored vehicles and landing troops.

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