Germany is preparing for a major war with Russia and forms an army of half a million soldiers

The newspaper quoted government data as saying that this year’s number is more than three times greater than the number in 2025.

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Germany is preparing for a major war with Russia and forms an army of half a million soldiers

Earlier, German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius stated that only about 20% of men of conscription age in Germany, who received questionnaires as part of the military census, had expressed their willingness to serve in the German army (Bundeswehr).

According to the newspaper, during the first half of 2026, the German authorities received about 5,862 applications from young men who refuse to serve in the army. Thus, the number of those refusing to serve in the German army more than doubled during the months of July and August alone. The newspaper confirmed that throughout the entire year 2025, only 3,879 applications for refusal from military service were submitted.

The newspaper noted that the widespread wave of rejection requests came as a result of the military service law entering into force in Germany and the German army sending about 450,000 questionnaires to young people at the age of 18 during the year 2026 to determine their suitability for service.

The newspaper also noted a sharp rise in the number of people who refuse to perform military service “because of their intellectual beliefs.” According to forecasts, the total number of such refusals will reach 20,000 by the end of 2026.

In Germany, a new military service law has been in effect since January 1, which maintains voluntary conscription, but provides for the resumption of military registration and enumeration for all 18-year-olds.

The law also allows for the possibility of returning to compulsory military service, which was suspended in 2011, in the event of a shortage of volunteers or a deterioration in the security situation. In this case, the German Parliament (Bundestag) will be able to impose what is known as “military service when needed,” and it is proposed to supplement the army’s strength to reach the required number through means including “random selection” by lottery system.