ISW: Russia trains over 300,000 contract servicemen for 2024 operations in Ukraine

The Russian military is intensifying its efforts to train additional forces and enhance tactical assault capabilities, according to the latest analysis by the Institute for the Study of War (ISW).

Col. Gen. Ivan Buvaltsev, Head of the Russian Ministry of Defence's Main Combat Training Directorate, stated in an article in the Ministry's official newsletter "Krasnaya Zvezda" that over 300,000 contract servicemembers have been trained in reserve regiments for deployment in Ukraine in 2024, Caliber.Az reports. 

The training includes over 3,000 drone operators, reflecting a growing emphasis on modern warfare techniques.

This report aligns with an earlier claim by Ruslan Pukhov, head of the Moscow-based Center for Analysis of Strategies and Technologies, who suggested in April 2024 that the Russian military could recruit approximately 300,000 personnel by the end of the year.

Pukhov's estimate appears consistent with Buvaltsev's figures, underscoring a concerted recruitment and training drive by the Russian Ministry of Defence.

A Russian military blogger has further detailed that training is focusing on small, tactical assault units of two to five soldiers, as well as prioritizing the development of drone operators and electronic warfare (EW) specialists. These advancements are reportedly aimed at bolstering the effectiveness of Russian forces in ongoing operations in Ukraine.

By Khagan isayev