Russian Defense Minister calls for increasing army to 1.5 million troops and raising draft age from 18 to 21

Russian Defense Minister Sergey Shoigu has proposed changing the age range during which Russian men can undergo mandatory military service by raising both the minimum and maximum ages at which men can be drafted.

“In staffing the Armed Forces, it’s [necessary] that we gradually increase the [minimum] recruitment age for citizens from 18 to 21, and that we raise the upper limit [from 26] to 30,” Shoigu said at a Defense Ministry Board meeting on Wednesday.

The minister also said that plans are underway to “provide an opportunity, at citizens’ request, to join the military under contract or to be conscripted from the first day of joining the service.”

Additionally, Shoigu said it’s “necessary” to raise the number of troops serving in the Russian army to 1.5 million, a process he said would entail increasing the number of contract soldiers to 695,000. A presidential decree currently sets the total number of Russian troops at 1,150,628 as of January 1, 2023. Thus, if the Defense Ministry follows through on Shoigu’s proposal, it will recruit an additional 350,000 people.