Dar es Salaam, April 1 -- RUSSIA: PRESIDENT Vladimir Putin has called up 160,000 men aged 18-30, Russias highest number of conscripts since 2011, as the country moves to expand the size of its military.

The spring call-up for a years military service came several months after Putin said Russia should increase the overall size of its military to almost 2.39 million and its number of active servicemen to 1.5 million.

That is a rise of 180,000 over the coming three years.

Vice Adm Vladimir Tsimlyansky said the new conscripts would not be sent to fight in Ukraine for what Russia calls its “special military operation”.

The current draft, which takes place between April and July, comes despite US attempts to forge a ceasefire in...