Russian military in Ukraine continues to suffer heavy fatalities. It’s been more than 14 months since hostilities broke out in Ukraine, and day 425 of the conflict in Ukraine finds the Russian military striving to recruit more troops while the Ukrainians prepare for a massive counteroffensive.
19FortyFive reports that while Russian deaths have slowed, personnel shortages remain problematic for the Russian military. Although it is impossible to determine the exact number of Russian casualties, it is safe to assume that over 220,000 Russian troops have been killed or wounded.
The war in the Donbas region continues on the ground, with the Russians making some incremental gains inside Bakhmut. Ukrainian troops are still defending the western section of the city’s ruins.
On Tuesday, the Ukrainian Ministry of Defense claimed its forces killed or wounded 187,770 Russian soldiers.
The Russian Ministry of Defense has begun an intensive new volunteer recruitment drive. The target number of contributors is 400 thousand.
The Russian military is actively recruiting young men around the country with advertisements that appeal to their sense of masculinity and their desire to make money. However, the Wagner Group, a private military company, is providing stiff competition for the Russian armed forces.
The mercenary organization led by Yevgeny Prigozhin has been a crucial cog in the Kremlin’s “special military operation.”
The Wagner Group, a private military firm, faces stiff competition from other firms for the small but growing pool of eligible Russian males of fighting age after having its prisoner recruitment efforts halted. Even though the Ministry of Defense’s (MoD) reported goal of 400,000 volunteers, British Military Intelligence recently estimated that this number would be far from reach.
Increased mobilization efforts can increase Russian military strength. The Russian Ministry of Defense partially mobilized 300,000 men in September. However, the Kremlin would rather not waste political capital by activating additional reservists.
