It's not just convicts. Russia is forcing its African migrants and students to fight for them in Ukraine.
businessinsider.com
- Russia is replenishing its troops with an unlikely source — African migrants and students.
- Thousands of Africans have been forced to join in Russia's war against Ukraine, per Bloomberg.
- The country has also been plugging its manpower gaps by sending prison inmates to the battlefield.
He burns whatever he can to avoid touching people in Moscow or St.Petersburg, because that would hit back.
He gets away with it, which is why he's doing it. Once other countries close their borders to Russia, the blood fued to retake Crimea will become very real to Russians.
Not just that, Kremlin recruits people from poorer regions who desperately needs money so there is still plenty support. https://russiapost.info/regions/majority
Just like Vietnam
Okay so they've used up half of their prisoners and are now forcing students into the military?
"In fact, Russia has recruited so many inmates that it has started to close down some of its prisons."
There's no way that they have this troops reserve number that is touted.
Putin's getting his ass kicked.
I'm hoping you're right. What I could imagine is that he just wants to burn through the prisoners since if they don't make it back, that's less prison costs. So even if he has reserve troops available, he'd rather use prisoners first.
If that was his plan he should have sent them in first before he lost 470,000 registered soldiers. This is a desperation move, and if not that, then it is one of absolutely colossal foolishness. Neither is a good look for Putin.
Prisoners go to war for a limited time, then they get freedom. First waves of prisoners are home now and cause a lot of issues.
Yup, in a year or two this will piss off many Russians.
I think the crisis moment for Ukraine has passed mostly. The threat of a breakthrough from a couple of months ago is not gone, but stalled long enough to shore up the defensive lines and have ammunition and supplies delivered from the west (and let's be honest here, that is still for 90% coming from the US). The strategy for Ukraine should now be to hold line and hit the supply lines.
The sanctions that were implemented take time to really bite and you start seeing the results of these more and more.
One thing I think Ukraine should do is start recruiting mercenaries from Nepal and other places where Russia is recruiting. Since they're not (or rather "probably would not") be thrown in the meat grinder, I think that after some time they can dry up those sources too, while at the same time addresing some of their own manpower issues.
I wonder how many choose deportation as the least worst option, or whether they're really given the choice.
Plot twist: they are deported to Ukraine.
Lmao. Students. Nice. That'll earn you support.
Despot despots. Wiping time moves apace
From KyivPride in Ukraine
Ukrainian conscription officers crashed a Pride festival to kidnap more civilians into forced conscription
Isn't all conscription forced?
Also like I wouldn't want to be drafted but isn't it kinda progress for the Ukrainian army to draft gay people? Something most modern armies have avoided?
A separate thread about that would have been appreciated. It's something terrible that should be called out, but posting it as a response to this is like replying: "Ok, and??? Some people of the country they're invading are horrible anyway."
I don't get what vatniks and Russian trolls are trying to do. Yes, Ukraine is at war and conscription is enforced. So what? What do they expect from a country invaded unprovoked and in a total war as a result?
I think what trolls are trying to do is not trying to demoralise the opponents, but reinforce the propaganda back home in Russia. Russian propaganda is already telling the Russians that they are winning and Ukraine is losing, even though Russia have lost way more soldiers than Ukrainians did in terms of ratio. Yes, Ukraine has fewer people so they are running out of soldiers and recruiting older folks; but Russia has lost plenty more but don't want to tap the huge but politically-sensitive Russian urban population who will not appreciate being drafted.
Other way around - the mobilization age was just lowered, from 27 to 25
Its not a 'ok, and' it's pointing out the team you are cheering for is doing the same thing as the team you vilify
They're invading an innocent country and raping, torturing and butchering innocent families? Nah, both sides aren't the same.
Stay in topic, this thread is about conscription
https://www.theonion.com/gays-too-precious-to-risk-in-combat-says-general-1819594658
Wild that this got downvoted. I guess pressganging men into combat is only bad when da ruskies do it?
They don't like to hear that their team is doing the same thing they claim only the other team does
Reminds me of the press articles about how Kin Jung-UN is forcing all men in North Korea to have the same hair cut as him, and these fake news were spread around like wild fire by propagadist western media, who were confident that their people will swallow any outrageous claims made on North Korea, because they know their audience doesn't have an ounce of critical thinking and is just thirsty for fake news to fill up their boredom
Not like you of course. You are perfectly rational
Brought to us by the same people that claimed Russia was fighting with WWII shovels, end of war is near, sanctions will kill the Russian economy, etc.
Point to where I defended Russia? I said the propaganda coming from the US is just that, propaganda
Then what are you doing here? Why act like Russia is doing better than it is other than to try and spread Kremlin propaganda?
Russia is doing better than reported by US propaganda.
Lol, without a hint of irony.
There was this little shit when I was about ten who would put his finger really close to the younger kids and announce "I am not touch you, I am not touching you, I am not touching you..."
Hence why they're now pressing students and immigrants into emergency armed service. Because they're getting their asses beat. This all checks out. A stable country with a well functioning modern military doesn't extend a 3 day operation into 3 years, lose half a million troops, and then press-gang their students into the draft. These are signs of failure.
Which is totally nothing like this