The Russian army is executing those soldiers who refuse to carry out orders related to the war in Ukraine. White House spokesman John Kirby stated this, saying that the United States has information on the matter. “We have information that the Russian military actually executed soldiers who refused to follow orders,” Kirby told a news conference. “We also have information that Russian commanders are threatening to execute entire units if they try to retreat from Ukrainian artillery fire,” he added.
Russia’s war capabilities are under the spotlight of the Institute for the Study of War (TSW). “Russia will not be able to recruit sufficient personnel for its new formations”, we read in the latest report on the war in Ukraine, with the comment on the announcement by the vice-president of the Russian Security Council Dmitry Medvedev: the former president has stated that over 1,600 people enter into service contracts in the army every day and that 385,000 have joined the Russian Armed Forces as of January 1 this year.
Is Russia expanding its military?
Medvedev also announced that Moscow intends to establish new military formations in 2024, including 19 brigades, 49 regiments and a flotilla, as part of a large-scale military reform. But for ISW analysts, however, “it remains highly unlikely that Russia will be able to provide these formations with the maximum strength they require”.
The ISW further noted that The Russian government continues to offer new social benefits to the military in an attempt to encourage 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.
Meanwhile, despite Moscow’s denials, “it is practically certain that North Korean ammunition has arrived in ammunition depots in western Russia”, which supports “Russian military operations in Ukraine”, writes British military intelligence in its daily bulletin, underlining that , if North Korea maintains the current pace of shipments, “over a thousand containers in recent weeks”, Pyongyang will become “one of the most significant foreign suppliers of weapons, together with Iran and Belarus”.
“It is currently unclear what Russia offers North Korea in return. It is unlikely that the entire package has been finalized, it was most likely one of the main topics of discussions during recent high-level Russian visits to North Korea North. There will probably be a mix of financial compensation, economic support, the supply of military technology and cooperation in other technological areas such as space”, concludes the bulletin after both Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu and Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov they went to North Korea. Without forgetting the visit of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un to Russia in September.
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