Estonia's Defence Forces cut conscript numbers threefold in 2026 to focus on training career soldiers

Estonia's Defence Forces have declared 2026 a so-called break year, during which the number of young men called up for conscript service has been cut more than threefold — from the usual roughly 4,000 to just 1,200. Those called up this year are mainly young people who themselves want to build a future connected to the Defence Forces.

The goal of the reduction is to give career military personnel the opportunity to undergo more in-depth training. Defence Forces representatives note, however, that the intensive period of additional training is really only just beginning, since all conscripts who started service last year have already been enrolled in the reserve.

Three training priorities

Changes to the basic soldier training course have already been prepared, along with instructors who will roll out updated training programs and methods across units. To this end, instructors' skill levels have been standardized and a further training schedule set.

Training efforts are focused on three areas: improving soldiers' basic skills, countering drones, and firearms training. Basic skills refer to each soldier's ability to remain combat-capable as long as possible while protecting personnel, weapons and equipment from detection and destruction. Both drone-countering and firearms training draw on current experience that is continually updated in light of the war in Ukraine.

Although the overall number of conscripts has fallen more than threefold, the reduction has not been distributed evenly: some units still require the same number of servicemen as before, so for them this year proceeds as normal.

More conscripts planned for next year

Since the Defence Forces plan to call up 4,100 people next year, the natural question is how that increase will be achieved. Each year the Defence Resources Agency assesses the health of roughly 10,000 young people aged 18 to 27, and works closely with those who have not yet begun service.

According to Daisy Želizko-Kask, head of marketing and communications at the Defence Resources Agency, it is not yet known what share of the young people who did not start service this year will receive a deferral; that can only be assessed once admissions to educational institutions are complete and the number still studying is known. Those who did not enroll in universities or vocational schools and have no other grounds for deferral will be sent to serve in 2027.

According to the Defence Resources Agency, calling up around 4,000 people a year will remain realistic until 2040, when the effects of an earlier decline in the birth rate will begin to be felt. The agency says the break year has not affected the number of career military personnel.