Russian Military Recruitment Struggles to Keep Up with Casualties
Russia’s defense minister, Sergei Shoigu (not Belousov), claims that 427,000 new recruits have joined the military. However, the actual number of casualties is higher than the daily recruitment numbers. This means that Russia’s army is struggling to replace soldiers who are being killed or injured.
The Institute for the Study of War (ISW) reported on December 16th that Russia’s recruitment efforts are not keeping pace with its losses in Ukraine. The ISW has previously warned that Russia faces significant challenges sustaining a long-term war effort due to problems with recruiting and producing new soldiers.
Russia is trying to recruit more soldiers by offering incentives, including a $1 billion plan to pay contract workers to join the military. However, full mobilization remains unlikely because President Putin is concerned about maintaining control in Russia.