Amid massive losses on the front lines, Russian authorities are frantically searching for new “cannon fodder.” To replenish the ranks of the aggressor state’s army, the authorities are using both increased financial incentives for recruits and coercive methods.
Throughout the summer, at least 11 regions of the Russian Federation and occupied Sevastopol once again raised the signing bonuses for new recruits. For example, in the Pskov region, the one-time payment for new recruits was increased by 325%, and in Dagestan—considered one of the poorest regions of the Russian Federation—by 244%.
This was reported by the Center for Countering Disinformation.
Since even these generous “sign-on bonuses” no longer outweigh the fear of death, the flow of volunteers is drying up. As a result, the Russian system is resorting to mass forced recruitment. Human rights activists are documenting a surge in complaints of forced detentions and coerced contract signings in at least 17 regions of the Russian Federation.
Despite the fact that mobilization is already intensifying, the Kremlin is trying to deny the obvious. Putin’s spokesperson, Dmitry Peskov, called reports of a new wave of mobilization “fake news.” However, it is worth remembering that the Russian authorities used similar rhetoric in the fall of 2022—one week before the mobilization decree.
Instead of seeking ways to end the war, the Russian regime is opting for further escalation. The Kremlin is deliberately driving regional budgets into a dead end and decimating its own working-age population in order to continue its aggression.