According to the data from the Institute for the Study of War (ISW), Russian troops are sending poorly trained recruits into infantry assaults despite high losses, so that Russia has a better position in potential negotiations with Ukraine and the US.
The Russian military is generating enough forces to make up for losses and is strengthening the grouping of Russian troops in Ukraine, despite the increase in casualties per square kilometer.
Vladimir Putin stated on May 13 that between 50,000 and 60,000 people voluntarily join the Russian armed forces per month. Six months ago, he cited a figure half that.
Dmitry Medvedev stated in January of this year that 450,000 people signed contracts in 2024, with another 40,000 going to the front as volunteers. From this data, it follows that about 41,000 recruits signed contracts each month.
The Deputy Head of the Main Intelligence Directorate (GUR) of Ukraine, Major General Vadim Skibitsky, stated in early March 2025 that Russia's conscription plans for 2025 would allow the Russian military command to make up for its combat losses if the current pace of offensive operations and losses is maintained.
Earlier, Commander-in-Chief General Alexander Syrsky stated that the grouping of Russian forces fighting against Ukraine increased from approximately 603,000 people on January 1, 2025, to 623,000 in April.
As ISW writes, Russia continues to suffer personnel losses comparable to the level of losses of Russian troops during the period of intense offensives in the fall of 2024, although there is a decrease in the pace of advancement.
The replenishment and increase in the number of Russian forces in Ukraine is due to the rapid deployment of low-quality troops in the front lines. ISW has repeatedly noted that recruits from Russia undergo only a month of training before being sent to Ukraine, such limited training sharply narrows the combat capabilities of the recruits and the overall ability of the Russian armed forces to successfully conduct complex operations.
Currently, the Russian military prioritizes sending poorly trained recruits into infantry landings with high-intensity offensives to achieve success despite a higher level of losses per square kilometer.
According to data from the UK Ministry of Defense, in April 2025, the Russian army lost over 36,000 military personnel wounded and killed in Ukraine (an average of 1,209 people per day). At the beginning of the year, according to the British military department's assessment, this figure was even higher — in January, Russia lost more than 48,000 wounded and killed (1,556 people per day).