Russia has already met its 2025 recruitment target and is expected to exceed it by the end of the year, Ukraine’s military intelligence chief said in an interview with Ukrainian public broadcaster Suspilne.
Russia's ability to meet its recruitment targets allows Moscow to sustain offensive operations and absorb heavy battlefield losses in Ukraine.
403,000 contract soldiers signed by early December
Kyrylo Budanov, head of the Main Intelligence Directorate of Ukraine’s Defense Ministry, said Russia planned to recruit 403,000 people in 2025 and reached that figure in early December.
According to Budanov, contract soldiers remain the main source of manpower for the Russian army.
He said Russia’s recruitment plan for 2026 calls for enrolling an increased 409,000 people.
Rising payments signal recruitment difficulties
Asked whether Russia is facing difficulties in recruiting personnel for the war, Budanov said they continue to have problems.
“They periodically increase one-time payments,” Budanov said. “The amounts vary by region, but they are significant. This is how they attract people into the military.”
Russia's recruitment strategy since 2022
Russia has relied on contract recruitment to avoid a second mass mobilization since 2022.
Earlier in 2025, Ukrainian intelligence reported that Russia was signing up around 35,000 contract soldiers each month.
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