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According to The Institute for the Study of War, the contracts are most likely standard military contracts, meaning the volunteers risks being forced to the front.
Russia is stepping up efforts to draw new recruits into a specialized branch of its armed forces, using promises of limited service and technical roles.
New reporting suggests the initiative is focused on younger, highly skilled candidates, but questions remain about how these recruits may ultimately be used.
Expanding drone force
Institute for the Study of War (ISW) cites Kommersant, a Russian state business outlet, for reporting that the Russian Ministry of Defense launched a federal recruitment drive on January 22 targeting contract soldiers for the Russian Unmanned Systems Forces, or USF.
The outlet reported that the campaign is framed as an opportunity to serve in a technologically focused unit rather than traditional combat roles.
Under the terms described by Kommersant, recruits are offered one-year contracts that limit their assignment to the USF. The contracts reportedly prevent transfers to non-USF units and require the military to discharge recruits at the end of the year if they refuse to renew.
Defense officials told Kommersant the program is aimed at young people with analytical thinking, computer skills, fine motor control, and vestibular stability.
Concerns over assignments
Other reporting has raised doubts about how strictly those guarantees would be upheld.
ISW cites Russian opposition outlet Astra for reporting on January 24 that the Ministry of Defense has been holding recruitment presentations at universities since mid-January 2026.
Students who attended the briefings told Astra they were required to sign acknowledgements stating that the contract lasted one year and allowed them to leave after that period.
However, Astra reported that Moscow’s Higher School of Economics later confirmed students were signing standard Defense Ministry contracts rather than USF-specific agreements.
Astra cited a lawyer who warned that such contracts could allow commanders to reassign recruits as infantry and deploy them to the front lines. The lawyer also said the terms could enable the military to retain recruits beyond the initial year.
Broader manpower push
ISW has previously assessed that the Kremlin is pursuing multiple methods to boost recruitment in response to heavy casualties. These efforts include citing the protection of critical infrastructure as justification for preparing reservists for possible deployment.
ISW has also reported that compulsory partial call-ups have been concentrated in Russia’s central regions. The approach is intended to reduce political pressure by sparing major population centers such as Moscow from visible mobilization efforts.
Sources: Kommersant, Astra, Institute for the Study of War
