Russia’s armed forces saw a major increase in personnel throughout 2025, with more than 400,000 servicemen joining regular military units and an additional 34,000 entering volunteer formations. The figures were announced by Dmitry Medvedev, Deputy Chairman of the Russian Security Council, who noted that the targets set for the year were essentially fulfilled.

Medvedev recalled that the recruitment benchmarks established by the supreme commander had been «practically reached," emphasizing that both the military and volunteer units had received substantial reinforcements.

These results build on the mid-year dynamics. Back in July, Medvedev reported that over 210,000 people had signed contracts with the Russian Armed Forces during the first half of the year, while volunteer units had accepted more than 18,000 fighters.

The recruitment push intensified later in the summer. In August 2025, Defense Minister Andrei Belousov confirmed that the annual quota for contract soldiers had been raised, adding that the Ministry was fully meeting its staffing objectives.

President Vladimir Putin also repeatedly addressed the scale of ongoing mobilization efforts. According to him, Russian volunteer contingents deploy 50,000 to 60,000 people to the special military operation zone each month. By autumn, he specified that more than 700,000 Russian servicemen were stationed on forward positions.

Taken together, the announcements outline one of the most substantial expansions of Russia’s military personnel in recent years, reflecting both steady recruitment and the growing role of volunteer formations.