Russia Short on Contract Soldiers: Army Already 4.6% Behind Its Recruitment Target

The pace of army recruitment in Russia has slowed, and the gap between actual recruitment and the annual contract recruitment target is widening.

The Foreign Intelligence Service of Ukraine (SZR) reported on this.

Currently, about 195,000 people have been enlisted under contract, compared to a target of 204,500, while the total annual target is 409,000.

“As of early July, less than 50% of the enlistment target has been met,” intelligence officials said.

According to the SVR, the average daily recruitment rate is 1,070–1,090 people, which is insufficient to meet the target.

By comparison, in 2024 and 2025, Russia recruited about 1,200 people daily.

Relaxed requirements

Another feature of the current campaign has been the relaxation of medical and functional requirements for candidates. In the first half of 2026, the Russian Federation’s total personnel losses are estimated at 196,700 people, of whom 115,300 were killed in action, 80,400 were medically evacuated, and about 1,000 more servicemen were taken prisoner.

Thus, the number of new contract soldiers effectively matches the number of losses.

The Foreign Intelligence Service also notes that Russia plans to actively recruit members of Russia’s smaller ethnic groups and residents of Ukraine’s temporarily occupied territories into the war.

Specifically, in 2026, the Kremlin plans to mobilize about 7,900 Ukrainian residents.

A separate focus of the campaign is student recruitment. According to their plans, they aim to enlist 50,000 students from higher education institutions and specialized secondary schools.

At the same time, according to Ukrainian intelligence, only 1 in 400 students actually agrees to sign a contract.

Russia has also increased its target for recruiting foreigners to fight in the war against Ukraine—from 16,000 to 18,500 people.

According to the Security Service of Ukraine (SSU), recruitment agencies are being used for this purpose, registering potential mercenaries under the guise of labor migrants.

Upon arrival in Russia, they are informed of allegedly signed contracts with the Russian Ministry of Defense, and immigration and law enforcement agencies resort to blackmail and intimidation to force foreigners into military service.

Earlier, it was reported that officials in Russia had begun preparing for a mass mobilization.