Military expert Oleksandr Kovalenko discussed the issue, Obozrevatel reports.Vladimir Putin signed legislation last week eliminating Russia's traditional twice-yearly conscription windows, replacing them with a continuous recruitment system that will operate every day from January 1 through December 31, 2026. The move represents one of the most significant expansions of Russia's military mobilization infrastructure since the conflict in Ukraine began.Under the previous system, Russia conducted military drafts only during spring and fall periods, typically conscripting approximately 130,000 young men during each three-month window. The new year-round framework is expected to bring in at least 500,000 conscripts annually—nearly double the previous capacity.Military analysts note that while conscripts are technically prohibited from front-line deployment, these restrictions have been repeatedly violated, and Russian lawmakers are already discussing 2026 legislation that would equate the obligations of conscripts with those of active-duty servicemembers.The draft expansion is just one element of Russia's multifaceted recruitment strategy. The Kremlin continues to sign approximately 30,000 voluntary military contracts per month with Russian citizens, down from peaks of 40,000-45,000 monthly contracts in late 2024 but still sufficient to add roughly 350,000 troops annually.Russia has also dramatically expanded its use of military reservists. Legislation passed in October 2025 broadened the circumstances under which reservists can be deployed, officially for protecting infrastructure and energy facilities within Russia but with language that allows deployment to occupied Ukrainian territories that Moscow has illegally annexed.The country has additionally intensified recruitment efforts in developing nations across Africa, Central Asia, and the Far East, bringing in an estimated 50,000 foreign fighters since 2024, including approximately 15,000 North Korean troops currently engaged in combat operations.Perhaps most controversially, Russian authorities have launched systematic raids targeting migrants who have obtained Russian citizenship, forcibly conscripting them into military service. Through October, more than 160,000 migrants were detained in over 850 operations, with at least 30,000 sent to combat zones. Moscow has introduced a pilot program requiring migrants to install tracking applications on their phones, featuring QR codes that allow police to monitor their movements and legal status in real time.Combined, these initiatives could provide Russia with over one million new military personnel in 2026, not including the unpredictable scale of reservist deployments—potentially pushing the total to 1.5 million new troops.With Russian forces currently numbering approximately 710,000-720,000 in the combat zone and sustaining estimated losses of 30,000 per month, Moscow's recruitment mechanisms appear designed to support a prolonged infantry-focused conflict. Military experts note that Russia has shifted toward infantry-heavy tactics as drone technology and long-range precision weapons have created "kill zones" extending 5-15 kilometers deep, making mechanized advances increasingly costly and reinforcing the Kremlin's apparent calculation that manpower—however achieved—remains its most sustainable military advantage.Several Russian regions have started a large-scale recruitment drive for volunteers to guard 'especially important facilities.'