Putin says 1,000 - 1,500 Russian soldiers are signing up each day

President Vladimir Putin said on Tuesday that 1,000 - 1,500 Russians were signing voluntary contracts to join the military every day. Putin was responding to a question about whether Russia needed to introduce a new compulsory mobilisation to boost its military effort in Ukraine, something the Kremlin has repeatedly said is not necessary.

Over the past six or seven months, 270,000 people have signed voluntary contracts, Putin said - a figure slightly lower than the 280,000 that former president Dmitry Medvedev stated earlier this month.