Russia targets 18-year-old conscripts for military contracts amid losses

Russia is actively encouraging conscripts as young as 18 to sign military contracts, according to Andriy Kovalenko, head of the Center for Countering Disinformation at the National Security and Defense Council.

"Due to the decline in the number of contract volunteers and the growth of their age category, as well as losses in the Russian army, conscripts aged 18 and older are now being actively encouraged to sign contracts with subsequent deployment to the combat zone," he wrote.

Kovalenko stated that commanders are tasked with ensuring young conscripts make this transition to contracts.

"These young soldiers are thrown into battle within weeks of signing contracts, without being warned about the rapid deployment, with only promises of financial compensation," he noted.

As of mid-December 2024, Ukrainian military intelligence (DIU) reported that Russia had lost 98,641 mobilized troops since the start of the full-scale war. 

On January 9, DIU also reported that Russia is intensifying forced mobilization efforts in the temporarily occupied territories of Zaporizhzhia and Kherson oblasts.