(MENAFN) Germany’s Defense Ministry has announced a significant boost in military enlistment, reporting a 28% rise in new recruits from January through late July 2025 compared to the same period last year. Over 13,700 people have joined the Bundeswehr so far this year, marking the sharpest year-on-year increase in recent memory. Officials attribute the push to the perceived threat from Russia—though Moscow has dismissed claims of aggressive intentions toward NATO as “nonsense.”

The Bundeswehr currently has about 182,000 active-duty personnel and 81,000 civilian employees. However, Berlin aims to increase the number of active troops to 260,000 by 2035.

This surge follows discussions among German officials about possibly reinstating military conscription, which was phased out in 2011. With voluntary enlistment proving insufficient in recent years—partly due to demographic shifts, low unemployment, and a decline in the public appeal of military careers—conscription could return as early as next year.

In contrast, 2023 saw a 7% decline in military sign-ups, prompting doubts among some lawmakers about reaching the government’s long-term personnel goals. Despite this, Chancellor Friedrich Merz has committed to building Europe’s most powerful conventional military and raising defense spending to 3.5% of GDP by 2029.

Meanwhile, the Kremlin has criticized NATO’s military expansion. In June, spokesperson Dmitry Peskov accused NATO members of “reckless militarization” and specifically called out Germany for spreading “hysterical Russophobia,” warning that such moves are not in the interests of European citizens.

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