According to Bloomberg, the number of Russian soldiers increased by 500,000 last year.
The Russian statistical service indicated the number of soldiers at 400,000. But analysts of the agency say that this information is incomplete. Another 100,000 people employed by organizations such as “Wagner” private company are not taken into account in official statistics.
In October last year, the Russian authorities announced that 300,000 people were recruited into the army as part of the mobilization.
According to information, since the number of people serving in the armed forces has increased, there is a shortage of labor in Russia. This idea is indirectly supported by the information of the statistical agency that the unemployment rate has reached a record low level. According to Deputy Prime Minister Tatiana Golikova, unemployment in January this year was 3.6%.
Bloomberg estimates that Russia’s working-age population could shrink by 6.5% in the coming years, given the losses in Ukraine and hundreds of thousands of people leaving the country.
Despite this, the Russian authorities intend to increase the number of troops. In April, the Ministry of Defense will launch a new recruitment drive for the army. Regional media reported that the army is to be replenished with 400,000 men.
In January, Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu stated that the goal is to increase the number of armed forces to 1.5 million in three years. About half of them will serve on a contractual basis.