Mass Recruitment of Reservists in Russia to Guard Critical Infrastructure

A mass recruitment of reservists and volunteers has begun in several dozen regions across Russia to guard strategic facilities and counter enemy drones.

According to the newspaper Kommersant, the recruitment is already underway in at least 20 regions – including those bordering Ukraine – where units are being formed to protect critical infrastructure.

As the publication notes, volunteer reservists are granted the status of military personnel and will receive “all the benefits provided, including social guarantees and payments,” for the duration of their service.

Meanwhile, the campaign covers a fairly wide age range: soldiers and sergeants up to 50 years old are eligible for recruitment, as well as junior and senior officers up to 60–65 years old.

It remains unclear which specific facilities and security zones will be included in this program — whether it will cover only border regions or the entire territory of Russia. No exact recruitment limits or planned numbers of reservists have been announced. The same applies to other conditions such as the length of service and training requirements – these details have not yet been disclosed.

It should be recalled that on November 4, 2025, Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a law allowing citizens – reservists of the Russian Armed Forces who have signed the relevant contract – to take part in ‘special assemblies’ to guard critical facilities not only during wartime but also in peacetime.

The document provides for the use of such reservists to protect essential facilities, energy and transport infrastructure, as well as to counter unmanned aerial vehicles.

According to Andrey Kartapolov, head of the State Duma Defense Committee, the new regulations will allow the use of reservists in border regions or in territories that are not part of Russia but are active combat zones.

It should be recalled that, according to Important Stories, from April to June 2025, only 37,900 people signed contracts to participate in the war against Ukraine – the lowest number in two years. For comparison, in the second quarter of 2024, there were 92,800 such contracts.

Militarnyi previously reported that North Korea (DPRK) sent another 5,000 military personnel to Russia at the beginning of fall.

It is claimed that these are military construction workers who are allegedly being involved in the restoration of Russian infrastructure.