News Feed

ISW: Russia 'highly unlikely' to recruit soldiers needed to staff new formations

2 min read
ISW: Russia 'highly unlikely' to recruit soldiers needed to staff new formations
A man walks past a recruitment poster for the Russian army in Moscow. (Contributor/Getty Images)

Russia will not be able to recruit enough personnel to staff its planned formations, the Institute for the Study of War (ISW) wrote in its Oct. 25 report.

Russian Security Council Deputy Chairman Dmitry Medvedev claimed on Oct. 25 that over 1,600 people enter into service contracts per day, and that 385,000 have joined Russia's armed forces since Jan. 1 of this year.

Medvedev also announced that Russia intends to establish new military formations in 2024, including 19 brigades, 49 regiments, and a flotilla, as part of large-scale military reform.

"It remains highly unlikely, however, that Russia will be able to fully staff these formations to their doctrinal end strength," the ISW said.

The ISW also noted that the Russian government continues to offer new social benefits to servicemembers in attempts to incentivize participation in the war against Ukraine. By increasing incentives, Russia hopes to avoid another disastrous round of forced mobilization ahead of the March 2024 presidential elections.

Russia's need for new recruits continues to intensify as its war against Ukraine drags on into its second winter.

Russian forces continue to sustain heavy losses on the eastern front, particularly near Avdiivka. Russia flooded the battleground city with troops on Oct. 10 in hopes of a rapid advance, but instead met with heavy Ukrainian resistance.

The ISW reported that Russian forces did make a confirmed advance near Avdiivka on Oct. 25, amid heavy losses to personnel and equipment.

Ukrainian forces also made marginal gains in western Zaporizhzhia Oblast, the report said.

Record Russian armor, personnel losses in failed attempt to take Avdiivka by storm
Starting on Oct. 9, Russian forces launched an offensive at the flanks of the city of Avdiivka. It has been an undisputed failure so far.
Article image
Avatar
Abbey Fenbert

Senior News Editor

Abbey Fenbert is a senior news editor at the Kyiv Independent. She is a freelance writer, editor, and playwright with an MFA from Boston University. Abbey served as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Ukraine from 2008-2011.

Read more
News Feed

The Vatican confirmed that Pope Leo received Metropolitan Anthony, the senior Russian Orthodox Church cleric who chairs its department of external church relations, along with five other high-profile clerics, during a morning audience on July 26.

 (Updated:  )

Explosions rocked Kharkiv, Dnipropetrovsk, and Zaporizhzhia oblasts as Russia launched waves of missiles, drones, and guided aerial bombs overnight on July 26. Kharkiv's Kyviskyi district has been hit twice by ballistic missiles.

Show More