Putin: “Ukraine is barely finding 30 thousand people, 60 thousand are coming to us” — is this really the case?
The statement that astonished the international community came from Russian President Vladimir Putin. According to him, Russia is sending 50-60 thousand volunteer soldiers to the front every month. Ukraine, he claims, is struggling to mobilize 30 thousand people.
However, these figures are being disputed by Western intelligence services. They state that the number of soldiers being called up in Russia each month is around 30-40 thousand. The main motivating factors are large monetary rewards and the mobilization of prisoners from jails.
According to British intelligence, the number of casualties and injuries in the Russian army since the start of the war has reached nearly 1 million. However, despite these losses, by the end of 2024, Russian forces have only managed to occupy 0.5 percent of Ukrainian territory.
What is happening in Moscow?
- According to The Economist, the Russian Ministry of Defense and General Staff are pressuring the Kremlin to start a new wave of mobilization;
- ISW analyst George Barros: “If mobilization in Moscow continues at this pace, there will be 12-16 months left to maintain operations on the front”;
- Russia is facing economic problems, a lack of human resources, and resource shortages.
After the partial mobilization in 2022, approximately 650 thousand to 1.1 million Russians left the country. According to a report by The Bell, at least 666 thousand of them have not returned to Russia.
Zamin.uz editorial team is monitoring: Mobilization, losses on the front, and the Kremlin's next decisions — what changes will occur in Russia's military strategy in the coming weeks? We will observe — we will be with you.
