World
Russia’s military recruitment slows as losses mount in Ukraine
Nearly five years into the war, Russia is struggling to recruit enough soldiers to replace its losses in Ukraine. Voluntary enlistment is slowing despite high pay, while Western estimates put Russian casualties at more than 30,000 killed and wounded each month. Moscow recruits about 1,000 soldiers a day, but most are used to replenish depleted ranks rather than expand offensive capacity. The Kremlin has relied on well-paid, indefinite contracts since September 2022, when Vladimir Putin mobilised 300,000 reservists. Lawyers and activists have documented increasingly coercive recruitment practices, but there is no indication that Putin has decided on another general mobilisation.