Russia calls up 135,000 conscripts as experts warn nation is preparing for more war
A familiar chill of mobilization is sweeping across Russia, signalling a dangerous escalation in global tensions. Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a decree ordering Russia’s largest fall conscription since 2016, calling up 135,000 men aged 18-30 for one year of mandatory military service from October 1 through December 31.
This massive draft, occurring alongside belligerent warnings from Russian diplomats and fundamental modifications to conscription laws, paints a clear picture of a nation preparing not for peace, but for prolonged conflict.
The Kremlin’s assurances
The Kremlin has been quick to offer assurances about the fate of these young conscripts. According to reports, Vladimir Tsimlyansky, head of the Russian General Staff’s mobilization department, has insisted that the conscripted soldiers will not be deployed to the forces currently in Ukraine. This is a promise Moscow has been previously accused of breaking, and many observers remain sceptical of such claims given the personnel losses Russia has sustained.
Since the Special Operation in Ukraine began in 2022, the Russian military has averaged about 127,000 new conscripts every fall. The current order for 135,000 represents a significant increase. Furthermore, earlier this year, Russia recruited 160,000 soldiers during the spring draft cycle, the highest intake since 2011. These numbers are not arbitrary; they are part of Putin’s explicit demand that the Russian military expand to a force of 1.5 million active personnel by 2026.
A system built for war
The conscription decree did not occur in a vacuum. It came just days after the Russian parliament passed legislation eliminating the bi-annual conscription cycles and replacing them with a year-round draft. This fundamental shift in policy is designed to create a constant pipeline of fresh recruits into the military, bolstering Russia’s capacity for a long-term, high-intensity conflict. The system is being rebuilt for perpetual war, not a temporary engagement.
Simultaneously, the diplomatic rhetoric from Moscow has grown increasingly hostile. Recently, Russian Ambassador to France Alexey Meshkov issued a stark warning to NATO. He declared that if NATO forces shot down Russian aircraft in allied airspace, “a war will ensue.” This threat underscores the dangerously heightened state of alert and the Kremlin’s willingness to escalate confrontations with the West.
The financial commitment to this war machine is equally telling. A draft Russian government budget reveals plans for immense defence spending through 2028. According to reports, 13 trillion rubles ($157 billion) has been proposed for defence in 2026. Alexander Kokcharov, a geoeconomics analyst for Bloomberg Economics, told Newsweek that this high military spending suggests that Russia is not preparing for peace, but rather is preparing for more fighting on the battlefield in Ukraine.
The human cost of this preparation is staggering. In the more than three years since the war in Ukraine started, Moscow has suffered nearly 1 million casualties, according to estimates from the Center for Strategic and International Studies. This tragic loss of life underscores the brutal reality of the conflict that these new conscripts are being prepared to join, regardless of official promises.
The sight of 135,000 young Russians being called to service, set against a backdrop of dire warnings and massive military spending, is a sobering reminder that the forces of conflict are actively mobilizing. While the world hopes for peace, the evidence overwhelmingly suggests that the Kremlin is preparing for a very different future, one where the drums of war beat louder than the calls for diplomacy.
yogaesoteric
October 6, 2025