Former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev, who currently holds the position of Vice Chairman of the National Security Council, announced on Tuesday that he visited a military training site in eastern Ukraine, noting that the Russian army has recruited 325,000 people since the beginning of the year.

In a video clip posted on the Russian VKontakte social media network, Medvedev said, “I visited the training site near the front line on the territory of the Donetsk People’s Republic by order of President” Vladimir Putin.

He added that his inspection visit showed that the training provided at this site was “adequate” and that the soldiers demonstrated “strong determination” and “firmness,” in addition to their “spirit of victory.”

Since the start of the war, many senior Russian officials have visited Ukraine, most notably Putin, who in March made a surprise visit to Mariupol, the war-ravaged city in southern Ukraine, before heading in April to the Lugansk region in eastern Ukraine.

In the video clip, Medvedev announced that the Russian army has recruited more than 325,000 people since the beginning of the year, 45,000 more than the previous tally announced by Moscow at the beginning of September.

He explained that between January 1 and September 26, “more than 325,000 people were accepted” into the Russian armed forces.

Since the spring, the Russian army has been carrying out a large-scale voluntary recruitment campaign, accompanied by many advertisements on the streets and on the Internet promising future soldiers lucrative salaries, social benefits, and banking facilities.