- On 29 September 2025, Russian President Putin initiated the military conscription order for 135,000 men. The annual autumn Russian conscription began on 01 October 2025 and runs until 31 December 2025 across Russia and the occupied territories of Ukraine. It covers adult men aged 18-30; the upper limit having been raised from 27 to 30 in 2023. Russian conscription cycles occur twice a year, in the spring and autumn. In spring 2025, 160,000 were conscripted into the Army. This compares to 133,000 in autumn 2024, and 150,000 in spring 2024.
- Potential conscripts are not allowed to leave the country one week after digital registration is initiated. Failure to report within 20 days of the summons results in various penalties and a 30,000 rouble fine ($363 USD).
- Concurrently on 24 September 2025 the Russian Duma passed the first reading of a bill to allow conscription to occur throughout the year instead of spring and autumn cycles. This will likely provide a continuous flow of conscripts for the Russian army. Whilst this will allow the pre-draft processes to be distributed throughout the year, it is a realistic possibility that this change will also desensitise the population to the process.
- Conscripts have generally not been sent to fight in Ukraine. They are used to guard Russian borders and secure military sites, operating in rear areas to free up contract soldiers for the front. Conscripts were highly likely involved in fighting in Russia’s Kursk oblast following Ukraine’s incursion into the region in August 2024 with 250 reportedly captured as prisoners of war.