422,704 people signed contracts with the Russian armed forces last year. This was stated by the deputy chairman of the Russian Security Council Dmitry Medvedev, quoted by "Reuters".
The number of those enrolled is smaller than in 2024, when about 450,000 people signed contracts to join the Russian army.
Medvedev, a former Russian president, spoke at a meeting of security service colleagues about drone technology in a video shared by Russian news agencies.
At his end-of-year press conference in December, President Vladimir Putin said that recruitment among drone operators had been particularly strong in 2025.
About 32,000 people joined volunteer brigades and went to fight in Ukraine last year, Medvedev added.