War in Ukraine: Russia’s Desperate Efforts to Recruit Troops

Western officials say tens of thousands of Russian soldiers have been killed or injured since the conflict began.

Like many Russian cities, Volosovo has loudspeakers on poles on the main streets. They are traditionally used to play music on national holidays. Now they have a different purpose.

“Two volunteer artillery battalions are being formed. We invite men aged 18-60 to join,” the devices shout.

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This is a recurring message across the country. On social media, on television and on billboards, men are being urged to sign short-term contracts with the military to fight in Ukraine.

Faced with significant loss of soldiers in the conflict, the Russian authorities launched an operation to recruit soldiers.

I stop a man on the street in Volosovo and ask if he supports the search for volunteers. “Yes! I would if I was younger, but I’m too old,” he says, clenching his fists. “We have to bomb them!”

However, most people seem less enthusiastic. “[Guerra] It’s too painful to even talk about,” says one woman. “Killing your brothers is wrong.”

I ask what he would say if one of his relatives wanted to join. “Why is he leaving? Only their bodies will be returned.” And there are many bodies.

‘Sign of Despair’

Russia does not release figures, but Western officials say between 70,000 and 80,000 Russian soldiers have been killed or wounded since President Vladimir Putin’s government launched its invasion six months ago.

To attract new members, the authorities offer volunteers large sums of money, land and even privileges for their children in schools.

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Employers even visited prisons to recruit prisoners, promising them freedom and money.

Investigative journalist Roman Dobrokhotov says the recruitment process is a sign of the authorities’ desperation.

“These are not the kind of soldiers needed for a successful war. The Kremlin still hopes that quantity can exceed quality. It hopes they can take hundreds of thousands of desperate people out of debt and throw them into the conflict zone.”

Despite the large sums of money (up to R$30,000 per month in some cases) offered to potential recruits, Dobrokhotov says the reality is different.

“People don’t get that money,” he says. “They’re coming back [da Ucrânia] now they tell us journalists how they were deceived. And that’s affecting the situation, this lack of trust in our government, so I don’t think this strategy has been successful.”

However, some are happy to participate. Nina Chubarina’s son, Yevgeny, left his village in northern Karelia to join a battalion of volunteers.

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Nina says that her son, who has no military experience, was given a gun and sent directly to Ukraine. A few days later she died, she. Yevgeny was 24 years old.

the pain of relatives

Nina agreed to meet me in a park near Moscow, where she got a part-time job at a bread factory. The monotonous job of wrapping bread takes her mind off losing her son.

She remembers begging him not to go to Ukraine. “I tried to dissuade him. I cried. ‘There’s a war, they’re going to kill you!’ I said, ‘Mom, everything will be fine,’ he said.

Nina criticizes the way authorities recruit volunteers. “They’re sending them there like stupid chickens! They didn’t even have guns before. They’re cannon fodder. The generals said, ‘We have a volunteer: great, go ahead!’ they think.”

But not everyone is as willing to enlist as Yevgeny. Traveling through this country, one does not get the impression that the Russian people fully support what the Kremlin calls “special military operations”.

Cars with the pro-war “Z” symbol on Russian roads are relatively few. Experts say that the number of volunteers is also high.

Military analyst Pavel Luzin believes that people are unwilling to sacrifice themselves for their president.

“The Kremlin’s problem is that most Russians are not willing to die for Putin or the restoration of the ‘great empire’. Recruitment is not possible in the current circumstances, as there is no civilian consensus for war in Russia. Ukraine. Ukrainians are ready for a fight.”