– They have lost a third of their ground combat units in the fighting in Ukraine. Now they try to vacuum and find people who want to fight, he says.
The problem for Russia is that they cannot introduce general mobilization, according to Hedenskog. It would be seen as a recognition that what is going on in Ukraine is a war – as opposed to “military special operation” as it is called from official sources in Russia.
– It would be very unpopular to mobilize mass. The most important thing for Putin is not the war in Ukraine, but staying in power.
Instead, Russia has tried to recruit among, for example, Cossacks and Chechens, or among foreign mercenaries in Syria. Attempts have also been made with regional voluntary associations – that is, that Russia’s various regions procure volunteers.
But why is Russia now starting to look among convicted criminals? Hear Jakob Hedenskog explain in the clip.