Russia plans to strengthen its military presence in Ukraine and near its borders with hundreds of thousands of new soldiers, according to Ukrainian Defense Minister Rustem Umerov.
According to the Minister of Defense, Russia currently has about 500,000 troops concentrated in Ukraine and near its borders.
However, Umerov added that Moscow was preparing to increase this number by 200-300 thousand.
At the same time, the Defense Minister did not disclose how many men the Ukrainian government planned to mobilize. He only mentioned that 1.2 million people had updated their data at the Central Military Commission.
Call in Russia
At the end of March, Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a decree for spring conscription, set to last until July 15.
Citizens aged 18 to 30 are subject to conscription for military service in Russia.
Afterward, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy revealed that the Russian army intends to mobilize an additional 300,000 servicemen by June 1.