About 200,000 people signed contracts with Russia's Defense Ministry during the first six months of 2026, Deputy Chairman of Russia's Security Council Dmitry Medvedev said on Tuesday, adding that the armed forces had met their personnel needs without requiring a new mobilization.

Axar.az reports, citing Russian media, that speaking at a meeting on military recruitment, Medvedev said around 40,000 people had joined Russia's drone forces, while another 16,000 had deployed to the special military operation in Ukraine as members of volunteer formations.

"Our citizens who sign military service contracts are true patriots, people who consider it their personal duty to defend the Motherland from the enemy and are ready to do everything for Russia's victory in the special military operation," Medvedev said.

He added that the Russian military's staffing requirements had been fully met and rejected reports that Moscow was planning a new mobilization later this year.

"This is a lie spread by the enemy, which itself is experiencing a shortage of manpower — there is simply no one left there to fight, and they round up their own citizens like pigs, beat them and throw them into buses," Medvedev said.