Additional Human Resources: Russia Plans to Attract Reservists Without Declaring Martial Law

The Russian Ministry of Defense aims to allow the use of reservists without declaring martial law. A government commission has already supported the bill.

It is proposed to use reservists to perform tasks in the event of war, counterterrorism operations, or the use of the army outside Russia. The Russian president will make the decision to use them, RBC reports.

The law will introduce a new concept – “special training”. They will be held only by reservists, separately from training and testing sessions.

The duration of the special training will not exceed two months. During this period, reservists are promised additional cash payments.

This applies only to citizens who have voluntarily signed a contract to serve in the reserve. Presumably, Russia plans to involve them in the war against Ukraine.

According to Andrey Kartapolov, head of the State Duma Defense Committee, the new rules will allow the use of reservists in border regions or in territories that are not part of Russia and are a war zone.

According to Vazhnye Istorii, between April and June 2025, only 37,900 people signed a contract to participate in the war against Ukraine, the fewest in two years. For comparison, in the second quarter of 2024, the number was 92,800.