Russia has significantly stepped up its contract service recruitment campaign in 2025, according to an analysis conducted by OpenMinds. The number of social media posts promoting contract service grew by more than 40% in the first half of the year. Drawing on social media monitoring, job-market data and war equipment loss records, data shows a shift from large-scale combat appeals to heavily promoted “non-combat” roles such as drivers – often advertised as safer but in reality used as bait to