The Influx Of New Recruits Into The Russian Army Has Plummeted Across The Country
9- 24.06.2026, 18:52
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Fewer and fewer Russians want to fight against Ukrainians.
Fewer and fewer Russians are signing contracts with the Russian Ministry of Defense and going to war in Ukraine. In Moscow in the spring of 2026, the influx of new recruits plummeted by a third compared to the same period in 2025. This was reported on June 24 by "Verstka".
According to the publication, 1,708 contract soldiers were sent to the front from the Russian capital in April, and 1,378 in May. That’s 1,000 fewer people than last year and comparable to the figures from 2024—when the capital had not yet introduced payments of one million for contracts with the Ministry of Defense.
“Everything’s consistently shitty here—few people are signing up, and even fewer are motivated. But we’re not getting discouraged, because as far as I understand, our situation isn’t the worst in the country. So we’re keeping at it,” says a source at Moscow City Hall.
The situation in the capital is even worse when it comes to the influx of contract soldiers into the “Rubicon” UAV unit, notes “Versтка.” The publication points out that contracts there are non-renewable.
When recruitment was first announced, there was a huge influx of applicants, but due to the high requirements, almost everyone was screened out. Now, according to the publication’s sources, about one-third of the total applicants have signed contracts with “Rubicon.”
The situation in Moscow reflects the picture across the entire country. A source at a unit in Siberia told the media that they have to recruit new soldiers from other regions, including Dagestan.
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