Key Points and Summary – Russia just launched its largest autumn conscription since 2016, ordering 135,000 men into service as Vladimir Putin doubles down on a “righteous battle” in Ukraine.
-Legally, conscripts aren’t meant for the front—but that line has blurred before, and the Kremlin wants 1.5 million active troops by 2026.
-Draft resistance lingers, yet recruitment machinery—and reports of raids—keep pressure high.
-With Moscow rejecting new peace talks and insisting Ukraine cede all four annexed regions, the message is clear: Russia is preparing for a long fight.
-For Kyiv and its partners, this draft is less a pause than proof the war is set to grind on.
Ukraine War Isn’t Ending: Russia Launches Biggest Conscription Drive Since 2016
President Vladimir Putin has declared that Russia will prevail in what he calls a “righteous battle” in Ukraine, even as the Kremlin launches its largest autumn draft in almost ten years. This is the largest seasonal conscription push since 2016, with 135,000 men being called up to serve in the military
In a video clip to mark the third anniversary of Russia claiming to have annexed the four Ukrainian regions of Donetsk, Luhansk, Kherson, and Zaporizhzhia, Putin tied the draft directly to his narrative of national struggle. “Our fighters and commanders go on the attack, and the entire country, all of Russia, is waging this righteous battle and working hard,” he said.
Legally, conscripts are not supposed to be sent to the Ukrainian frontlines, since Russia maintains a distinction between compulsory service and the “partial mobilisation” announced in 2022. Still, this boundary has often proved porous.
Moscow itself admitted two years ago that conscripts had been deployed to combat zones “by mistake.” With the Kremlin pressing to expand the armed forces to 1.5 million active personnel by 2026, few observers believe that this new wave of young men will remain untouched by the war.
Russia’s conscription laws require all men aged 18–30 to complete one year of military service. Draft dodging is still common, reflecting public reluctance to be drawn into a conflict that has already killed or wounded well over a million soldiers and civilians, displacing millions others.
Nonetheless, the state machinery for recruitment remains formidable, and claims regarding raids on universities and workplaces to enforce call-ups have been frequent since the invasion began.
The decision to summon so many fresh troops highlights Moscow’s long-term approach. Putin is nowhere closer to displaying openness to more peace talks, but is keen to show just how fixated he is on keeping the war going until he believes Ukraine and its Western supporters could give up their efforts.
The Times of London reports that, this week Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov confirmed Russia is not in contact with Kyiv about restarting the peace talks that have been on proverbial ice since July.
This will come as a blow to U.S. President Donald Trump, who has routinely vowed to end the war, and has pushed to chair three-way talks between Russia and Ukraine. So far, however, Russia’s mobilisation points to the opposite: a willingness to accept staggering losses in exchange for territorial control.
Putin insists Ukraine must cede all four annexed regions, including areas Russia has failed to capture at any point in the war, before any peace deal is even conceivable.
As Ukraine braces for further assaults, the scale of this latest draft underlines a grim reality: far from winding down, Europe’s bloodiest war since 1945 is not over yet- not by a long chalk.
About the Author: Georgia Gilholy
Georgia Gilholy is a journalist based in the United Kingdom who has been published in Newsweek, The Times of Israel, and the Spectator. Gilholy writes about international politics, culture, and education. You can follow her on X: @llggeorgia.
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Jim
September 30, 2025 at 4:31 pm
Yes, the war grinds on. Alaska was an attempt by Trump to end the war on the Kellog principle: a demarcation line and Ukrainian territory West of the line being NATO-ized.
The Russians immediately rejected it (as they always had, since early Spring when Trump announced the Kellog Peace Plan as his position to end the war).
The Russians have long had a public peace plan: neutrality, limited military capability, equal rights for Russian speakers, and new elections (de-Banderite).
Retired General Keith Kellog and Vice-President J. D. Vance both have claimed Russia isn’t interested in negotiations, but Russia keeps saying they are willing to negotiate, but based on their stated peace principles.
Both sides want a victor’s peace (and neither side wants to give in).
And, in spite of Kellog’s claims about who is winning, it’s clear from these recent high saturation air attacks, that Russia is serious about winning.
And willing to go to great lengths to do so.
So, where are we? Russia is expanding their army, the front is starting to buckle in spots, and manpower shortages at the front for Kiev are getting critical.
Trump has claimed it’s not his war, but now there is talk of a Billion a month, talk of a 90 billion Dollar loan for weapons (who has them, I don’t know), and talk of escalation with Tomahawks. And who knows where the escalation stops.
So, it’s Trump’s war. He promised to end it, but it’s actually Trump who is doubling-down, breaking his promises, and continuing the Biden policy; war without end until Russia wins on the Battlefield.
Looks like Putin wants Novorossiya unless Kiev sues for peace (accepts Russia’s terms) before Russia take it by force, and even possibly beyond that (all Ukraine) or wherever & whenever Kiev puts down its arms.
Settle in for the long haul.