Russia to conscript 120,000 men, again promises they won't be sent to fight in Ukraine

Russia intends to conscript approximately 120,000 men for military service between October and December, yet reaffirms they will not be deployed to fight in Ukraine. This announcement comes despite Moscow's repeated promises in the past, only for conscripts to subsequently be deployed. Colonel General Yevgeny Burdinsky, head of the Russian General Staff's mobilization department, stated that conscripts would commence leaving assembly points for their service locations on October 10.

They will not be engaged in combat tasks in Ukraine or the four regions partially annexed by Russia, as initially assured by President Vladimir Putin in March 2022. However, it was later revealed that some conscripts had indeed been deployed, prompting the Kremlin to order military prosecutors to investigate and punish any officials who allegedly breached Putin's orders.

Even the absence of deployment to Ukraine did not hinder the enlistment of Russian conscripts in the war, with instances of them being captured by Ukrainian forces in Kursk Oblast. The latest conscription drive is not a full-scale mobilization and is smaller than the autumn draft of last year, with 120,000 compared to 135,000 in 2025.

The spring 2026 call-up saw over 141,000 conscripts, while Putin's decree in December 2025 set the total planned conscription for 2026 at 261,000. Russia transitioned to a year-round conscription system on January 1, 2026, facilitating continuous recruitment, but physical send-off to military units still occurs during the customary spring and autumn periods.