Russia will mobilize more people to the army in 2025 than planned – Budanov

In 2025, Russia will exceed the plan to recruit people into the army. This was stated in an interview with Suspilne reported chief of the Defence Intelligence of Ukraine Kirill Budanov.

Russia's mobilization plan for 2025 envisaged the recruitment of 403,000 people. This figure was already recorded in early December, which means that in 2025 the Russians will exceed the established norms of recruitment, the DIU head noted.

According to Budanov, contract soldiers remain the main source of recruitment for the Russian army.

He also said that Russia's mobilization plan for 2026 envisages the recruitment of 409,000 people. He also said that the Russian army is facing problems in recruiting people for the war.

"That's why they periodically increase the level of one-time payments: it varies depending on the region, but these are significant amounts. This is how they lure people to join the army," he said.

• july 11 Foreign Intelligence Service said LIGA.net reported that 1,200 new contract soldiers join the Russian army every day. In the first half of 2025, Russia recruited 200,000 people into its army.
• on November 12, it became known that in the Far Eastern regions of the Russian Federation, recruiters were fired for failing to fulfill the mobilization plan send to the front.