"Russia Recruiting 34,000 'Resource Soldiers' for Ukraine War"

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Koo Chae-eun] Amid the prolonged Ukraine war, Russia has begun recruiting volunteers, including middle-aged individuals, to replenish its troops, the British daily The Telegraph reported on the 14th (local time), citing military experts.

According to the report, the Kremlin has issued orders to recruit up to 34,000 volunteers by the end of next month to compensate for troop losses in the Ukraine war. The U.S. think tank Institute for the Study of War (ISW) also reported that each of Russia's 85 federal subjects (regional governments) has been instructed to form units composed of approximately 400 volunteers.

The ISW stated, "The newly formed units are currently heading to training grounds and are likely to complete about a month of training by the end of next month," anticipating their imminent deployment to the battlefield. Western countries and experts estimate that Russian military casualties have reached up to 20,000 over approximately five months since the invasion of Ukraine at the end of February. This number exceeds the casualties during the nine-year Soviet-Afghan war.

However, considering the political burden domestically, Russia has not declared a war that would allow conscription. There is no alternative to volunteers for securing new troops.

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