The number of people in Russia who want to go to war against Ukraine by signing a contract with the Ministry of Defense is gradually decreasing.
Modern.az reports that this was stated in the report of the US Institute for the Study of War (ISW).
Analysts, referring to the publication "Vechniye Istorii", noted that in the first quarter of 2026, the number of people who received a one-time bonus after signing a contract with the Russian Ministry of Defense was 71,200. This indicator is 20 percent less compared to the same period last year.
According to the information, a total of 363,900 people signed a contract with the Russian Ministry of Defense during 2025. This means a 10 percent decrease compared to 2024.
ISW believes that Russia is facing more serious difficulties in attracting new military personnel amid increasing losses. For this reason, the Kremlin is forced to activate its reserve resources, increase bonuses for contractors, and expand covert mobilization measures to overcome the shortage of personnel.
The report notes that Moscow is still trying to present numerical superiority as its main advantage. However, Ukraine's unmanned aerial vehicles and medium-range strike capabilities have significantly reduced the impact of this advantage.
According to analysts, the Ukrainian Defense Forces are inflicting disproportionately high losses on the Russian army in terms of manpower and military equipment.
"Amid weakening recruitment of new military personnel and increasing losses, the Kremlin is creating the groundwork for a phased and limited call-up of reservists for military service to compensate for losses in Ukraine," the ISW report emphasized.
