This article was originally published on Washington Times - World. You can read the original article HERE
Russian military recruitment rates for 2024 have decreased compared to the previous year, highlighting the challenges the Kremlin has faced filling the ranks since President Vladimir Putin ordered an invasion of neighboring Ukraine in February 2022, British military intelligence officials said.
In late 2023, Kremlin officials said the Russian Ministry of Defense was recruiting about 1,600 new soldiers per day. However, publicly cited figures this year put the rate at around 1,000 daily.
“These figures are themselves probably inflated to an extent,” U.K. military intelligence officials posted Tuesday on X in their latest assessment of the battlefield in Ukraine.
The recruiting gaps have forced the Russian defense ministry last month to increase sign-on bonuses for new soldiers, which British officials called “an increasingly expensive recruitment strategy for Russia.”
However, they said the payment increases will “probably” bolster recruitment levels for at least the rest of the year.
The ongoing war in Ukraine has been costly for Russia, especially in terms of military personnel killed or wounded in the fighting. Moscow has likely sustained more than 610,000 casualties so far, British officials said.
“Tactics based on mass infantry waves has required Russia to continuously replenish front line forces with a constant stream of new recruits,” they posted on X.
This article was originally published by Washington Times - World. We only curate news from sources that align with the core values of our intended conservative audience. If you like the news you read here we encourage you to utilize the original sources for even more great news and opinions you can trust!
Comments