The Ministry of Defense spoke about the increase in the number of new contract soldiers in June

More than 13,500 people were accepted for military service under the contract in 10 days of June, which is 2.1 times more than in the same number of days in May, Nikolai Pankov, Secretary of State – Deputy Minister of Defense of the Russian Federation, said at a meeting on recruiting military personnel of the Russian Armed Forces by contract.

According to Pankov, who leads defense department, this figure is also 3.1 times higher than the number accepted for the contract in April. The recruitment plan is well performed in Moscow, Sevastopol, Chechnya, Tuva and other regions.

“In addition to the entry of citizens into contract service in the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation, we have seen a significant increase in citizens who want to defend the Fatherland in volunteer formations. Currently there are more than 40,” said Pankov.

The meeting participants also considered issues of legal regulation of the status of volunteer units, the report says.

In mid-January, Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu announced that all planned changes in the Russian army, including an increase in its strength to 1.5 million people, would be implemented by 2026. The minister called for special attention to be paid to recruiting contract soldiers, ensuring the timely supply of weapons, and increasing the training grounds in military districts and new territories, etc. Shoigu also instructed to work out the issues of training cadets and students in the universities of the Ministry of Defense and specialists in the training centers of the Armed Forces.