Russian Military Personnel

All Russian men between the ages of 18 and 30 were obliged by law, prior to 2023, to perform one year of military service. In 2023, the upper age limit was raised from the age of 27 years old to the age of 30 years old. In 2015, the total number of conscripts in the Russian army was 297,100 people - one of the lowest in the past ten years. The most popular in the twenty-first century was an appeal to the Russian army in 2009 - 576,580 people. Then, 305,560 people were called in the spring.

Russian authorities were apparently grabbing men off the streets - including cafes, restaurants, and workplaces - to replenish their military manpower in the ongoing conflict in Ukraine, according to The Washington Post 16 October 2022. The press-gangs appear to descend at random. It was terrifying and, at times, comically haphazard. Police officers have taken many able-bodied men from streets and Metro stations to fight in the war, and have even staked out apartment building lobbies to give military summonses.

Officials even grabbed dozens of men from a homeless shelter in Moscow. Russian army recruiters in St Petersburg have tried to persuade homeless men to sign up as soldiers. The Russian homeless were 95% male and 95% drunk. By 1996, roughly 1.5 million of Russia's 147.2 million population found themselves homeless. In communist Russia, vagrancy and begging were punished with a minimum two-year prison sentence so many homeless were classified as felons. Today, homelessness in the Russian Federation was estimated to be roughly 5 million, approximately 3.5 percent of Russia's population.

The Soviet propiska system of residency permits granted housing and employment to individuals only in the place where they were officially registered. One of the most common issues that the homeless in Russia face was the loss of legal documents, such as passports and residency permits. Once Russian citizens lose these documents, they were no longer eligible to receive free social or medical care and have no path to recovering these benefits.

Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu commented 05 July 2022 on reports of conscripts participating in a special military operation in Ukraine. He said this at a meeting in the military department. According to the head of the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation, conscripts were not sent to the zone of the special operation. Earlier, the press secretary of the President of the Russian Federation Dmitry Peskov said that conscripts were not involved in any way in a special operation in Ukraine and were not sent there. He stressed that the previously discovered case of conscripts in Ukraine was under control in the Prosecutor General's Office on behalf of Vladimir Putin. Prior to this, Shoigu said that the Russians, sent to military service this spring, would not be sent to hot spots. He noted that the training of this year's spring conscription servicemen would begin with professional training in training centers lasting from three to five months.

Russia was replenishing its armed forces through covert mobilization, so it makes no sense to wait until its offensive potential was exhausted. This was stated on 25 June 2022 by the head of the Main Intelligence Directorate of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine Kyrylo Budanov. According to Budanov, Ukraine can achieve victory over Russia only with the help of military force.

"The strategy is very simple. Stabilize the situation. Get the necessary amount of equipment and prepare the necessary amount of forces and means to launch a counteroffensive to return our entire territory, "he said. According to him, "one should not expect miracles that they will get tired, stop wanting to fight and so on."

"We will return our territory as a result of our counteroffensive," he added. Over 330,000 people take part in Russian operations in Ukraine, which was a third of all the Russian armed forces, and this figure, according to him, also includes non-combat personnel, including members of the rear services.

Budanov noted that he was calm about the possibility of Russia declaring open mobilization , as it would cause dissatisfaction inside the country. "They were really afraid of this - that's why the mobilization is covert, in particular, with the use of (reservists)," he said.

The personnel of the military units that took part in the February 24 invasion have been replaced, sometimes twice, he said. "These are not the well-trained people who have been trained for many years," Budanov explained.

Under Russian law, the idea of regions carrying out their own individual military mobilizations was clearly illegal, said Sergei Krivenko, the head of the Citizen.Army.Law nongovernmental aid organization. "Russia, of course, has a federative structure," he told Current Time, the Russian-language network run by RFE/RL in cooperation with VOA. "But all matters of security and the formation and activity of the armed forces are exclusive functions of the central government. ... Any mobilization or the formation of separate military units outside the Defense Ministry or the National Guard should be impossible and illegal ....But, of course, it is possible, but it is illegal."

The Kremlin said there were no plans to announce a full or partial mobilization for Russia's ongoing unprovoked invasion of Ukraine as Russian troops suffer losses and lose territory in the Kharkiv region to a counteroffensive. "At this point, no, there is no talk about it," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on 13 September 2022, answering a journalist's question about the possibility of a mobilization. Peskov also said that any criticism of Russian military officials over Ukraine's recent successes on the battlefield in Ukraine's Kharkiv region could be made only "in accordance with the current legislation." Peskov warned "But the dividing line here is very thin. One should be very careful here [when criticizing Russian military leadership]," in a thinly veiled reference to a law adopted in March, days after Russian launched its invasion of Ukraine in late February, that criminalized any criticism of the invasion.

The difficulties that have arisen in the process of mobilization in Russia - in particular, the large number of people who have fled abroad to avoid receiving summonses - forced the Russian government to use coercive measures and even conduct raids on conscripts. The lack of proper training and the sending of such persons to the front line immediately after mobilization would lead to a significant increase in casualties among personnel, undermining the already low level of morale and poor psychological state and motivation of russian servicemen. The proportion of russians expressing a negative attitude towards mobilization had already increased to more than 70%.

“Volunteers” for war: migrants, bankrupts, debtors and the unemployed ChrisO_wiki, independent military history author and researcher, wrote 03 November 2023 : "The Russian authorities are expanding military recruitment to cover migrants, debtors, former mercenaries, private security guards, the unemployed, convicted criminals, ex-convicts and those under investigation for crimes. Important Stories reports that the continuing need for manpower has prompted the Russian government's Office of the Presidential Plenipotentiary Representative to issue a plan to recruit socially vulnerable sections of society into the Russian army. The plan is set out in a letter to the administration of the Central Federal District, which covers Moscow and most of the western part of European Russia. It requires the CFD to provide weekly information on the region's government bodies to recruit individuals for the army. Among the categories set out in an attached table are:

Reservists, including those demobilised in 2022 and 2023
Citizens subject to conscription
Persons under investigation for "crimes of minor or moderate gravity"
Current and ex-convicts
Former mercenaries
Debtors and bankrupt people
Unemployed people
People who have recently acquired Russian citizenship
Foreigners who have applied for Russian citizenship
Foreigners subject to expulsion or deportation
Employees of businesses which have made provision for them to sign a militray contract
Employees of private security companies (PSC)
Voluntary recruits

Although signing a contract is meant to be voluntary – as opposed to mobilisation, which is compulsory – the Russian authorities have many ways of applying pressure, as Sergei Krivenko of the pressure group "Citizen. Army. Right" notes. 8/ "For example, migration legislation is very unclear and complex. People could come and submit documents, but nothing has been done to them yet. Or the deadlines were missed." "And you can either expel this person, his family, or say that we will quickly register you, we will give citizenship to your family, and you will go to fight." There have been many incidents previously of migrants being rounded up and coerced into joining the army. According to an military official in an army recruitment office, coercion is also taking place across a much wider swathe of society. He says that government officials are bringing in "people who are drunk, homeless people, people with obvious mental health issues, drug addicts who have just been released from prison. It feels like they are getting rid of a marginalised layer of society." "They don't care at all about the quality of the army. 'They'll be digging trenches,' they say. They don't care what will happen to the families [of the recruits] after they send them there, but they promise them mountains of gold, of course." "There was one migrant who hardly even spoke Russian. When I ask them if they came voluntarily, they all say they did. Although I could see that the representative of the administration, who brought the man, was showing with his facial expressions that he should say that." The government officials themselves are also under pressure to meet quotas, which has led to disputes between districts over who should be credited for bringing people to recruitment offices. "For example, a person lived in one district, they persuaded him there, they bring him here [to the military unit], and he turns out to have a residence permit of another district." "A representative of that district starts to attack [another official]: 'You stole a man from us!' Some people cry outright that they will be fired if they fail to fulfil the plan, and they have mortgages and children." "Or that if they don't find people in time, they will have to give up their employees or go themselves." As the military official notes, "When their career is on the line, they know how to work quickly." "And in order to stay at their feeding trough, they are ready to push a lot of people into the firebox. These government officials are now in such fear and treat people [who are recruited for contracts] as a means of survival." Krivenko comments that this recruitment activity is meant to contribute towards the target of 305,000 new contract soldiers set earlier this year by Dmitry Medvedev, the Deputy Chairman of Russia's Security Council. "One of the channels for replenishing the army is conscripts. While in the barracks, they are subjected to intense pressure. Many are deceived and a contract is signed for them." "The second point is that people from private military companies and [Luhansk & Donetsk 'People's Republic'] formations were transferred under the control of the Ministry of Defence, and they were also forced to sign contracts." A third channel is the recruitment of civilians, of whom Krivenko suggests around 50-70,000 have been recruited. The military official comments that about half have come voluntarily, while the other half have been brought in by government officials. The government introduced special military registration for those serving sentences in colonies. Those serving sentences in prisons will be placed on a special military register without personal appearance, medical examination or professional psychological selection. The Ministry of Defense came up with the idea of special accounting in September 2023. The government introduced special military registration for Russians serving sentences in colonies, follows from a government resolution that amends the provisions on military registration in Russia. The document, which is dated October 27, was published on the legal information portal. The regulation on military registration is supplemented by a new paragraph, from which it follows that special military registration of prisoners will be maintained by military registration and enlistment offices at the location of correctional institutions or pre-trial detention centers if the person is serving a sentence in the latter. Before the launch of an information resource (an electronic register of those liable for military service, the creation of which is currently underway by the authorities. - RBC ), colonies will have to provide lists of citizens subject to special military registration in electronic form or on paper within 10 working days after the reception of a prisoner, his transfer or release, follows from the resolution. The document also states that registration, deregistration or changes to the documents of citizens serving sentences is carried out “without personal appearance” at the military registration and enlistment offices, “without carrying out measures for medical examination, medical examination, as well as professional psychological selection.” . In the summer, Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a law that allows Russians with a criminal record to be called up for contract service during martial law or mobilization, with the exception of those sentenced for serious and especially serious crimes (terrorism, treason, espionage, etc.). The law allows entering into a contract with people who have served their sentences if their criminal record has been cleared or expunged, as well as with those who have committed crimes of minor or moderate gravity if the preliminary investigation has been suspended. Russian prisoners previously took part in a military operation in Ukraine as part of the Wagner PMC, said the head of the company, Yevgeny Prigozhin ( who died in a plane crash last summer). In May, he said that a private military company recruited a total of 50 thousand prisoners, 20% of them died. In June, the businessman specified that over 30 thousand prisoners returned home after the end of the contract. As of January 1, 2023, there were 433 thousand prisoners in the Russian penal system , according to data from the Federal Penitentiary Service. https://www.rbc.ru/politics/03/11/2023/65452d1b9a79471b7c5d4a45 In celebration of International Women's Day in March 2023, Russian defense minister Sergei Shoigu proudly announced that some 44,500 women were currently serving in the Russian army. He said 1,100 of them were directly involved in the "special military operation," and that one third had received special state decorations. Some 1,300 were studying at military colleges, Shoigu added, before describing the women as an "enchanting army." Shoigu failed to mention, however, that more and more female prisoners were being recruited to serve in the Russian armed forces, according to Berlin-based human rights activist Olga Romanova. Romanova's non-governmental organization Russia Behind Bars helps prisoners by providing legal assistance and other support. She is well connected within Russia. According to the organization, the first 50 female inmates were recruited a year ago. Back then, 50 women held at a jail in the Ukrainian city of Luhansk, which was annexed by Russia, joined Russia's armed forces. Since then, many more incarcerated women have signed up. Today, Romanova told DW, there were thousands such women serving in the Russian military. She said these women were "victims of Russian propaganda." While some joined the army for moral reasons, others were tempted by the money. In addition, those who return from the battlefield have their jail sentences scrapped. A video posted to a Russian online platform shows a young female soldier with a baseball cap, holding a Kalashnikov rifle. Her voice is brimming with optimism. The footage was supposedly recorded in the area of Russia's "special military operation," which is what the Kremlin calls its full-scale invasion of Ukraine. The woman's name is Natalia, though her nom-de-guerre is Valkyrie. She hails from the Ural mountains. Everyone engaged in the "special military operation" has a military callsign. Julia from Donetsk is sitting beside Natalia, whose callsign is Demon. She, too, is a soldier wearing a bulletproof vest. Natalia jokes that Julia has a "demonic state of mind," adding that she "is indignant and it doesn't matter that she is a girl!" Julia nodds. This video surfaced in October 2023 online and had soon been viewed thousands of times. In the clip, the women answer a range of questions, along with images of shooting exercises, talking about how important it is to serve in the army. They are said to be members of the Bors battalion, which media reports claim is a volunteer combat unit under control of Russia's Ministry of Defense. The battalion is currently running gender-neutral ads on a major Russian social media platform as it seeks to bolster its ranks. It is looking to recruit drone operators and snipers but also medics and drivers. Volunteers can sign up on a six-month contract, which also entails benefits. Recruits can expect to earn 220,000 rubles per month, equivalent to just under €2,300 — a lot of money by Russian standards. Another account on the same platform by the name of "fighting girls" specifically targets women, urging them to sign up and serve in the Russian forces. The conditions — contract length and pay — are identical to those offered by the Bors unit. The ad says female drone pilots and snipers are wanted. 16 September 2024 3:18 PM Russian President Vladimir Putin has ordered the country's military leaders to recruit more forces to increase its troop numbers to 1.5 million. The number of Russian soldiers will rise from 1.32 million to 1.5 million, according to Putin's decree, which will come into effect on December 1. Putin's decree, published on the official government website, will increase the overall number of Russian military personnel from 2.2 million to nearly 2.4 million (including 1.5 million troops). The presidential decree also orders the government to provide the necessary funding for the increase in the number of armed forces. The previous increase in Russian troop numbers came last December and before that in June, when Putin put the number of troops involved in the special military operation in Donbas in eastern Ukraine at nearly 700,000. Some 300,000 reservists were called in after Ukraine's counteroffensive in the fall of 2022. Military observers and analysts have noted that Moscow has been reluctant to call in more reservists, fearing domestic destabilization like what happened in 2022, when many draft dodgers fled Russia to avoid joining the armed forces. Russian authorities have been filling the ranks with volunteer soldiers, who have been attracted to high salaries. The number of Russian military personnel will be increased to 1,320,000, without either mobilization or a significant increase in conscription for military service. On 01 December 2023 President Putin signed a decree establishing the staffing level of the Russian Armed Forces. According to the decree, the staffing level of the Russian Armed Forces will be 2,209,130, including the maximum number of armed forces increased by 170,000 military personnel. In this regard, the Russian Ministry of Defense stated that the increase in the size of the Armed Forces is due to an increase in threats, including due to NATO expansion, pointing to “the buildup of the alliance’s joint armed forces near the borders of Russia, the deployment of additional air defense systems and strike weapons.” “The potential of NATO’s tactical nuclear forces is being increased. The United States intends to replace 200 obsolete free-fall nuclear bombs located in Europe and Turkey with a new high-precision version by the end of 2025,” the Russian defense department noted. In the current conditions, an additional increase in the combat strength and size of the Armed Forces is “an adequate response to the aggressive activities of the NATO bloc,” according to the Russian Ministry of Defense. The ministry clarified that the increase in the maximum strength of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation by 170,000 people does not provide for mobilization. There are also no plans to “significantly increase the conscription of citizens for compulsory military service.” “The increase in the number of military personnel of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation is being implemented in stages at the expense of citizens who express a desire to perform military service under a contract,” the Russian Ministry of Defense said. According to the ministry, in the country as a whole, from January 1 of this year to December 1, more than 452,000 people were accepted for military service. Proposals for reforming the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation in December 2022 at a meeting of the board of the Russian Ministry of Defense were voiced by the head of the Russian defense department Sergei Shoigu. The minister justified the need to create a new group of troops in north-west Russia with “NATO’s desire to increase its military potential near Russian borders”, as well as with the expansion of the North Atlantic Alliance to include Finland and Sweden. The Kremlin also justified plans to increase the size of the Russian Armed Forces as a proxy war that the collective West is waging against Russia. “You are aware of the proposals that were voiced by the Ministry of Defense, which will still be fleshed out, (including - IF) on increasing the conscription age. You also know that, in general, conceptually, President (Vladimir) Putin agreed. Therefore, now all these tools are being developed. This is connected with the war that the countries of the collective West are waging, a proxy war, which includes elements of indirect participation in hostilities, and elements of economic, financial war, legal war, going beyond the legal framework, and so on. such measures are connected. The security of our country must be unconditionally ensured, and in this case the Ministry of Defense is fulfilling its role,” said the press secretary of the Russian head of state, Dmitry Peskov. In January 2023, at a meeting on increasing the size of the Russian Armed Forces, Shoigu clarified that large-scale changes in the composition of the Armed Forces, an increase in their numbers, as well as changes in the military-administrative division of Russia will be carried out during 2023-2026. He explained that it was necessary to “form an army corps in the Republic of Karelia, three motorized rifle divisions as part of the Ground Forces and two air assault divisions in the Airborne Forces, reorganize seven motorized rifle brigades into motorized rifle divisions in the Western, Central, Eastern military districts and in the Northern navy." According to the head of the Russian Ministry of Defense, “it is possible to guarantee the military security of the state, to protect new subjects and critically important objects” of the Russian Federation only by strengthening the key structural components of the Armed Forces. In particular, it will be necessary to create two new interspecific strategic territorial associations of the Armed Forces - the Moscow and Leningrad military districts, as well as self-sufficient groups of troops on the territories of the new Russian subjects. Also, he added, the combat component of the Navy, Aerospace Forces and Strategic Missile Forces will be strengthened. Shoigu emphasized that special attention would need to be paid to recruiting contract soldiers. In addition, it will be necessary to ensure the timely supply of weapons, military and special equipment, that is, the entire complex of weapons, technical equipment and other materiel (AMST) to associations, formations and military units. It is also necessary to “increase the number of training grounds in military districts and in the territories of new constituent entities of the Russian Federation, organize their training to ensure practical actions of troops (forces), determine the volume of training for cadets and students at universities of the Ministry of Defense,” Shoigu noted. In addition, according to him, it is necessary to “increase the volume of training of specialists in the training centers of the Armed Forces in accordance with the increased need of troops (forces) by increasing the capacity of existing training centers and creating new ones, to provide budgetary allocations in the required amount for the entire range of activities.” The Minister especially drew attention to the fact that all measures must be combined into a comprehensive plan for increasing the composition and strength of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation and synchronized with the delivery time of weapons, military and special equipment and materiel under the state defense order, and the construction of infrastructure for the deployment of troops. In July 2023, Shoigu spoke at a conference call about the formation of the governing bodies of the Moscow and Leningrad military districts (in 2010, the Western Military District was created on the basis of the Moscow and Leningrad military districts). “Simultaneously with the recruitment of personnel, a planned supply of weapons, military and special equipment is being carried out, military personnel are being trained and units are being coordinated,” the minister reported. At the same time, there was a strengthening of troop groups of the Armed Forces on the western borders of Russia. As Shoigu explained in August, additional military contingents and NATO strike weapons are likely to be deployed on Finnish territory, capable of hitting critical targets in northwestern Russia to a significant depth. Therefore, according to him, in the western and northwestern strategic directions, threats to Russia’s military security have increased manifold. Among other things, the minister pointed out that after Finland joined NATO, Russia’s land border with the alliance countries almost doubled. He also drew attention to Poland’s beginning of large-scale purchases of weapons from the United States, Great Britain and South Korea, which also carries risks for Russia. “Warsaw announced its intention to build, as the Poles say, “the most powerful army on the continent,” Shoigu recalled. n addition, he noted Poland’s plans to create on a regular basis “the so-called Polish-Ukrainian connection, ostensibly to ensure the security of Western Ukraine, but in fact - for the subsequent occupation of this territory.” Next year Russia planned to form another army corps, seven divisions, 19 brigades, 49 regiments and one flotilla. As Deputy Chairman of the Security Council of the Russian Federation Dmitry Medvedev reported in October 2023, the President of the Russian Federation instructed to continue work on supplementing the armed forces with contract soldiers in 2024. “The situation in the world and around Russia remains tense, well, let’s put it this way carefully, this also applies to the zone of special military operation and neighboring countries where the NATO bloc is constantly increasing its military potential. To effectively protect the independence and security of our state, a set of measures will be taken to expansion, increase in the number of armed forces of the Russian Federation, their strengthening,” Medvedev said. The high patriotic spirit and desire of Russians to defend their Motherland make it possible to continue the active recruitment of contract military personnel, he noted. Russia proposed a law on increasing the age of contract servicemen, but this measure is unlikely to help increase the combat effectiveness of the Russian army. According to the document, the age of Russian servicemen serving under a contract should be increased to 65 years, and the age of officers to 70 years. It is noted that the changes will also apply to those who were accepted into the ranks of the Russian army by June 2023. It would significantly raise the current age limit of 51 for non-commissioned officers and likely increase the length of the contract. It is noted that according to open data, the average life expectancy of Russian men in pre-war 2021 was 64.2 years. Thus, the proposed measure gives these service members effectively a lifetime contract. "While this measure is likely to reduce the need for additional mobilization, increasing the number of servicemen over the age of 51 is unlikely to increase the combat capability of the Russian army, especially in mobile attacks," the report said. Russians with acquired citizenship will be deprived of it for refusing to register for military service; the corresponding law was signed 08 August 2024 by Vladimir Putin, the document was posted on the website of the official publication of legal acts. Thus, a provision is being introduced into the basic laws “On military duty and military service” and “On citizenship” according to which failure to fulfill the obligation to initially register for military service by a person who has acquired Russian citizenship will serve as grounds for its termination. The law synchronizes registration for military service and obtaining citizenship. Russia is left with no option but to pursue further mobilization, even if it has to be done secretly to prevent public backlash, reported the German newspaper BILD 22 August 2024. Editor Jeanne Plaumann and military analyst Julian Röpcke highlight that Russian dictator Vladimir Putin’s plan to increase troop numbers in Ukraine is “clear.” Evidence of this includes offering men attractive salaries and signup bonuses, as well as pressuring conscripts to commit to service contracts. Russia is reportedly planning a covert mobilization in response to significant losses in its conflict with Ukraine, according to BILD and German analysts. Estimates suggest that between 110,000 and 140,000 Russian soldiers have died since the war began in February 2022, leading Moscow to quietly increase its troop numbers. Ukrainian Deputy Defense Minister Ivan Havrylyuk has indicated that Russian forces in Ukraine have grown from 400,000 at the beginning of the year to 600,000 now, with plans to reach 800,000 by the end of the year. However, some regions in Russia are running low on funds to recruit contract soldiers, raising concerns about a potential large-scale mobilization. Analysts speculate that President Putin may use Ukraine’s actions in the Kursk region as a pretext for boosting conscription efforts, likely in a covert manner without any official public announcement. Anton Gerashchenko nted 14 September 2024 that the Russian military was getting increasingly dissatisfied with their incompetent command. Drug dealing among the Russian soldiers flourishes, approved by their commanders. Phones are taken away from soldiers and they are forbidden to complain about their commanders. Those who disagree are sent on meat assaults and shot in the back. Russian "Z-channels" shared information that Russian commanders sent their "legendary drone operator" Lysakovskiy on a "meat assault" where he died. Dmitriy "Gudvin" Lysakovskiy has recently recorded a video where he blamed the regiment commander that he "intentionally and acting solely out of selfish motives" transferred him from long-range reconnaissance into assault, and also shared about the drug dealing in the regiment. Afterwards, "Gudvin" was sent on a "meat assault" which he did not survive. Reportedly, the video was published after his death. Hundreds of young Yemenis are said to have been lured to Russia under false pretenses. Instead of working well-paid mining jobs, the Yemenis are being forced to fight in the war against Ukraine. These are the findings in December 2024 of the Geneva-based Yemeni human rights SAM Organization for Rights and Liberties, whose research is also referenced by the US State Department in its Yemen reports. "It is impossible to say exactly how many soldiers are fighting on the Russian-Ukrainian front," said Tawfik Alhamidi, director of SAM. "It could be 500 to 700, maybe a little less." The young men are recruited through an internationally operating network. "Their employees promise non-military jobs in Russia. They tell them they could earn up to $10,000 [€9,500]," said Alhamidi. After more than 10 years of a devastating civil war, the situation in Yemen is dire. "There is little prospect for the future, and many people can hardly cope with the enormous price increases," said Alhamidi, adding that there are "human traffickers who have exploited this situation for their own purposes and recruited young Yemenis." Once in Russia, the Yemenis found themselves in completely different situations to those they had been promised verbally. "Once recruits arrive in Russia, they are subjected to severe abuses, including being forced to fight under harsh and inhumane conditions, being deprived of food and medical care, and suffering injuries or death from indiscriminate shelling on the battlefronts," the report states. According to a report by the US think tank Atlantic Council, the recruitment serves the interests of both the Houthis and Russia. Russia is increasingly seeking contact with groups in the Middle East that are hostile to the US, while the Houthis are seeking to deepen their ties with Russia. One-time payments for signing a contract with the Russian Armed Forces by citizens serving a prison sentence are being cancelled. The corresponding decree was signed by Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin on December 28, the document itself was published on December 30, and comes into force on January 1, 2025. Prisoners formally received the opportunity to be released from criminal prosecution by signing a contract for service in the SVO zone in 2023, although in practice volunteers were recruited from colonies to the Wagner PMC as early as the spring of 2022, and since the fall of the same year, the structures of the Ministry of Defense have begun a similar process.

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