‘Mobilisation 2.0’ plan to recruit extra 300,000 soldiers according to Kremlin sources

The Russian Defence Ministry is planning to recruit a further 300,000 soldiers for deployment in Ukraine in a second secretive mobilisation effort, Russian independent news outlet Verstka reported on Friday.

While no official announcement regarding a second mobilisation has been made by either the Defence Ministry or the Kremlin, anonymous high-ranking sources confirmed that some military units were already readying for it. Additional uniform and weaponry request forms have already been handed out to enlistment offices in anticipation of this campaign, according to one Verstka source working in military recruitment.

As well as calling up reservists who have not been previously drafted, servicemen whose conscription terms are due to run out April are to be “persuaded by all means” to sign contracts to continue their service, according to Verstka sources close to the Kremlin.

However, sources also said that the authorities would “not be limited” to reservists and former conscripts. Verstka reported that the Defence Ministry also intended to recruit veterans discharged from service, those who studied at military universities and those who completed civilian alternatives to military service.

Verstka’s sources say that reservists and former conscripts who sign contracts will be deployed to southern regions of Russia on the Ukrainian border, allowing experienced soldiers already stationed there to be freed up to mount an offensive on Ukraine’s second city Kharkiv.

This new recruitment push is likely due to a decline in voluntary recruitment. The number of people enlisting fell in autumn 2023 from between 500-600 people per day to just 20-30.

Russian military strategy is currently focused on encircling Kharkiv, according to Mediazona’s sources. “The next step in our plan is [to capture] Kharkiv. But we require a further 300,000 pairs of boots on the ground,” a high-ranking Kremlin source told Mediazona. “Therefore, mobilisation 2.0 is being rolled out.”

An earlier version of this article said that “mobilised soldiers whose contracts are due to end in April” were convinced to sign contracts to continue their service. This has been changed to “servicemen whose conscription terms are due to run out April”, as mobilised soldiers serve indefinitely and do not sign contracts.