Record Recruitment of Contract Soldiers by Russian Army Reaches 417K in 2025, Says Medvedev

In 2025, the Russian military successfully enlisted 417,000 contract soldiers, as announced by former President Dmitry Medvedev during a recent Security Council meeting, where he now holds the position of chairman.

Medvedev attributed these impressive figures to the patriotism of citizens willing to serve in the military, adding that approximately 36,000 individuals chose to volunteer for enlistment this year.

Just a few weeks prior, Medvedev had reported that there were 400,000 contract soldiers and 34,000 volunteers. The accuracy of these statistics has not been independently verified by The Moscow Times.

The current recruitment numbers indicate a decrease from 2024, when Medvedev mentioned that around 450,000 individuals had signed military contracts and 40,000 had joined volunteer groups.

This year’s decline in recruitment is occurring alongside some Russian regions reducing the one-time enlistment bonuses for new contract signers.

Last year, President Vladimir Putin directed the military to increase its active personnel to 1.5 million by 2026. In August, Defense Minister Andrei Belousov stated that the recruitment goals for contract service were “generally being met.”