The planned blitzkrieg failed. Kremlin boss Vladimir Putin (69) has been at war with Ukraine for three months.
After the Russian attack stalled in other parts of Ukraine, Russia has been focused on conquering the Donbass since late March. According to Kiev, Putin’s troops now control a fifth of Ukraine. But the Russian army is apparently paying a high price for this.
Putin’s troops appear to be running out of soldiers. It needs supplies. That’s why a nationwide recruiting campaign is underway. Small offices are quickly set up in public places and at large events in order to properly drum up publicity for the military, such as the «daily indicator» reported. archyde news is also done on the Internet. Vacancies for tank drivers and mechanics are suddenly advertised on job exchanges. The earnings sound tempting – the equivalent of up to 3100 francs.
Almost 135,000 soldiers were to be drafted
And there is another reason why the Russian army urgently needs more soldiers at the front. The age limit for military service was abolished. According to the Duma’s website, parliament voted in favor of a corresponding draft law at the end of May. This allows any volunteer who has not yet reached the statutory retirement age to join the army. For men, this is currently 61.5 years.
Until now, only Russian citizens between the ages of 18 and 40 might enlist in the army, while foreigners might enlist between 18 and 30 years.
During its offensive in Ukraine, the Russian army suffered heavy material and human losses, although Moscow never quantified them. In April, Russia launched an appeal with the aim of conscripting around 134,500 young people. However, the authorities said the recruits would not be sent to the front.
There is a risk of mutiny within the army
According to military and Russia expert Gustav Gressel (43), time is of the essence. Putin must solve the soldier problem in the summer. “In September many contractual relationships with Russian soldiers will end once more. If they are forced to prolong it, there may be mutinies. There have been critical moments in the last few weeks because those who saw their contracts expire now didn’t want an extension,” says Gressel, who works for the European Council on Foreign Relations (ECFR), to the “Tages-Anzeiger”.
The military is currently working to recruit new soldiers through lots of and high wages. Should that not be enough, Putin might soon use force to provide supplies. Forced Recruitment!
Russia has already lost a third of its troops
Russia rarely provides information on the number of victims in the Ukraine conflict. The last figures were published on March 25th. At that time, the army put the number of soldiers killed at 1,351 and those injured at 3,825. So far, there is no reliable information on the number of Russian soldiers killed in the Ukraine war.
The Ukrainian government puts the number of Russian soldiers killed at more than 27,000. Although Western experts estimate this to be somewhat exaggerated, they also assume that it is many times higher than what Russia admits.
The British Ministry of Defense declared at the end of May, citing intelligence findings, that Russia had already lost a third of the troops deployed for the Ukraine war – that would mean the loss of around 50,000 soldiers through death or injury. (jmh/AFP)
