The Kyiv Independent
“As Russia finds itself in a more difficult financial situation, it is more likely to resort to violence to generate recruits,” Kateryna Stepanenko, a Russia analyst at the Institute for the Study of War, told the Kyiv Independent.
Stepanenko said coercion has long been part of Russia’s recruitment system but has usually remained hidden. Now, however, the system is becoming harder to sustain.
“Continued Ukrainian strikes on Russian energy infrastructure are creating additional costs and personnel needs. The Kremlin no longer needs people only on the battlefield, but also to protect critical infrastructure in its rear,” Stepanenko said.
“By late 2024 and early 2025, however, several regions were already reporting that they could not meet their quotas on time. This suggested that Russia’s volunteer recruitment campaign was beginning to stagnate,” Stepanenko added.
Images of men being seized on the streets and forced into the military undermine Russian propaganda, Stepanenko said. For years, Russian propaganda had contrasted forced mobilization in Ukraine with supposedly voluntary recruitment in Russia.
