 Russian Army to be replenished with 400,000 new contract service personnel. The Russian Defence Ministry will start new recruitment of professional soldiers to the Russian Army from the 1st of April, their aim being to add 400,000 new recruits to the Army. As Radio Savoboda reported, the Russian Defence Ministry has sent documents to the regions indicating the number of people with whom contracts should be signed. It is noticed that several Russian regional media outlets immediately published the total number of contract service personnel needed to replenish the Russian Army. It was noted that Russia planned to recruit 400,000 such soldiers. It is indicated that the main part of the work will be carried out by military enlistment offices and governors will be responsible for the implementation of the plan. It was also reported that 10,000 people should be recruited for professional service in Chelyabinsk and Severlovsk oblasts of the Russian Federation and 9,000 more in the Perm cry. Before this, it was reported that the number of Russians mobilised for the war against Ukraine may be much higher than the 300,000 declared by the Kremlin exceeding half a million people. Russian media and non-governmental organisations say Russian authorities have sought to bolster the number of troops involved in the military action in Ukraine by attracting more volunteers, engaging private military contractors and even offering amnesty to some prisoners in exchange for a tour of military duty. Regional authorities have also tried to beef up the ranks, forming volunteer battalions to be deployed to Ukraine.