MOSCOW – President Vladimir Putin claimed Tuesday that Russia is recruiting nearly twice as many soldiers as Ukraine each month, stating that up to 60,000 people “volunteer” to join the Russian Armed Forces compared to 30,000 Ukrainian conscripts.
Speaking at a Kremlin meeting focused on economic development, Putin told business leaders that these recruits include individuals from Russia’s civilian workforce. “These [Russian volunteers] are part of your labor force,” he said, addressing top industry figures.
Since early 2023, the Kremlin has intensified military recruitment efforts, heavily promoting enlistment and offering high salaries to attract volunteers. The drive follows a partial mobilization in late 2022, when Putin ordered 300,000 reservists to reinforce troops amid significant battlefield losses in Ukraine.
Russia’s Defense Ministry has not updated its official casualty figures since that mobilization, when it reported fewer than 6,000 fatalities during the first seven months of the invasion. Independent estimates, however, suggest the true number of Russian military deaths exceeds 100,000.
Putin’s remarks come just days after the republic of Bashkortostan became the first Russian region to publicly disclose its losses, reporting that over 5,000 soldiers from the region have been killed in Ukraine.
The contrasting narratives around voluntary enlistment in Russia and forced conscription in Ukraine highlight how both sides are grappling with the toll of prolonged warfare and the urgent need to replenish frontline troops.
