Moscow recruits volunteer army with no experience, head of British intelligence: “Russia is at the end of its forces” | News

The British Ministry of Defense describes the Russian government as “desperate”. “Russia uses Soviet-era weapons. Their outdated weapons kill and injure thousands of innocent Ukrainian civilians. Russia will not win this unjust war. The United Kingdom continues to support Ukraine,” it said. Richard Moore wrote at the British Ministry post that “Russia is at the end of its powers”.

Russia is exerting pressure on those in power in the areas occupied by the Russian army in Ukraine to organize referendums on joining Russia later this year. In its daily intelligence update, the UK Ministry of Defense reports today that local authorities are trying to collect personal data from residents in order to build an electoral register:

The Kremlin has appointed pro-Russian interim administrators in the occupied territories, who exercise power together with the Russian army. In Melitopol, a city in the southern Zaporizhzhya region, pro-Russian authorities announced in June that they were preparing a referendum on accession to Russia. There are also plans for referendums in the occupied Kherson region. In 2014, Russia annexed the Ukrainian peninsula of Crimea after organizing a referendum there on affiliation.

Moore states that it is increasingly difficult for Moscow to replace the fallen soldiers. But instead of a general mobilization, the army is mainly looking for volunteers from poor and remote areas.

The armed forces are not picky about this, according to American news channel ‘CNN’. Although the requirements vary by region, these are generally adult men up to 49 years of age with no criminal record. Previous military experience is often not a requirement.

Moscow’s recruitment strategy isn’t all about patriotism: the recruits are offered salaries up to ten times the minimum wage in the impoverished regions and receive veteran status and pension after just a few months.

The families of the volunteers have also been thought of: this gives their children easier access to a university education. Should the soldier die, there are generous compensation for the next of kin.

Analysts say about 30,000 volunteers could be recruited, who would then likely be sent to the Donbas. The industrial region is currently Russia’s priority in Ukraine. In this area, the volunteers would make up about a quarter to a third of all Russian armed forces.

Experts doubt the quality of the new soldiers. They will probably only receive a month of training, which will make them cannon fodder in practice. The analysts base that judgment on Moscow’s previous deployment of poorly trained troops and conscripts at the front in order to spare the better units.

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