Russia is calling on 134,500 men between the ages of 18 and 27 for military service, according to a decree issued by President Vladimir Putin, the DPA news agency reported, citing Russian news agencies.
These young people will come to the barracks from April to mid-July.
At the same time, the 12-month term of service of conscripts expires. It is unclear how many of them will leave the army to become part of the reserve, according to the DPA.
In Russia, men between the ages of 18 and 27 have to go to the barracks for a year. Conscription decrees are issued twice a year. A few days ago, Defense Minister Serhiy Shoigu stressed that new recruits would not be sent to hotspots, apparently with Ukraine in mind.
Last spring, 134,650 young people came to Russia’s barracks, 150 more than this year.
On February 24, Russian troops invaded Ukraine. About two weeks later, the government acknowledged that conscripts had been sent to fight. Moscow said it was unaware of this and promised to investigate the cases and punish the perpetrators, according to the DPA.