Russia needs soldiers for its war against Ukraine. Putin’s military probably also uses migrant workers.
St. Petersburg/Moscow – In St. Petersburg, Russia, the authorities recently carried out raids on illegal migrant workers. Among other things, the state news agency mug reported on a raid on a vegetable warehouse where around 400 foreign workers are said to have worked. More than 100 of them already had a Russian passport – and were taken to a military recruitment office to register for military service.
The Russian business news agency RBC according to law enforcement agencies in Russia have introduced a new procedure. It is used to bring migrants with Russian citizenship to recruitment offices. Both news agencies cite information from the Russian Interior Ministry.
Migrants for the military: Russia relies on coercion and incentives
It has long been known that the Russian military recruits not only prisoners but also migrant workers as recruits for the Ukraine war. There is not always coercion involved. For example, in March, President Vladimir Putin signed a decree making it easier for immigrants to obtain citizenship if they commit to military service for a year, according to the portal Newsweek reported.
Once migrants have acquired Russian citizenship and are registered at a place of residence in Russia, they must register at a local military enlistment office within two weeks. In addition, there are reports that Russia is also forcibly recruiting in its occupied territories in Ukraine. Anyone who doesn’t cooperate will be deported.
Ukraine war now extends to Moscow: photos show the damage caused by drone attacks
Ukraine war now extends to Moscow: photos show the damage caused by drone attacks
Russia’s large-scale recruiting campaign
Part of the recruitment campaign is another decree by Putin, which is primarily aimed at Russian citizens. It provides life and health insurance for both volunteers and mobilized military personnel. In addition, recruits should be able to return to their old job after service and they do not have to pay off band loans during service. The military and government are trying to draw attention to this with billboards on the streets and advertisements in online networks.
Since the uprising of the Wagner group of mercenaries, there has been speculation that the Russian army could face a shortage of soldiers in the future. Russia’s ex-president Dmitry Medvedev recently rejected this and announced that 230,000 new soldiers had enrolled in the Russian army since the beginning of the year. The BBC Russia doubts these numbers. (JuGo)
Rubric list image: © IMAGO/Bulkin Sergey / Russian Look
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