Russia is running out of money to recruit contract soldiers, large-scale mobilization is brewing

The Russian Federation, against the backdrop of major losses in the war against Ukraine, needs a new wave of mobilization. The Kremlin is trying to delay the draft to the last, fearing socio-political consequences, but the funds for recruiting contract soldiers are already running out. Bild editor Jeanne Plaumann and military observer Julian Repke write about this . Analysts cite international estimates, according to which Russia's losses since the start of the full-scale invasion of Ukraine amount to between 110,000 and 140,000 troops. According to the Ukrainian Armed Forces, the enemy's losses in killed and wounded amount to more than 603,000 people. Deputy head of the Ukrainian Defense Ministry Ivan Gavrilyuk said that Russia has increased the number of occupation troops in Ukraine from 400 thousand soldiers to 600 thousand, and by the end of the year intends to increase this figure to 800 thousand. At the same time, money for recruiting contract soldiers is running out, so a large-scale mobilization is brewing, observers note. According to them, Kremlin dictator Vladimir Putin may use the Ukrainian Armed Forces' breakthrough near Kursk to draft more Russians into the army, but most likely, the Russian authorities will try to do this secretly, without an official announcement.
Recently, Bloomberg news agency said that Russian authorities are preparing an order for a new mobilization, which could be issued as early as the end of this year. The shortage of Russian troops became obvious after Ukraine broke through to the Kursk region. According to journalists, Ukraine's invasion of Russia has shown the weakness of its defense systems . Putin is raising the salaries of new servicemen to avoid mobilization. A growing shortage of soldiers for the war in Ukraine is prompting Russia to raise conscription bonuses to avoid a repeat of the unpopular mobilization. There is little sign yet that [the increases] are working effectively. The military is not getting enough new soldiers to keep up with losses at the front, according to sources close to the Kremlin and the Russian Defense Ministry. The level of personnel losses is now the highest since the conflict began in 2022. Regional officials are failing to meet on average more than a third of their conscription quotas, a Bloomberg source familiar with the situation said. The situation may force Russia to consider a new mobilization. According to a Bloomberg source, officials may present it as a rotational measure to give frontline troops a rest. The order for conscription could be given as early as the end of this year, another source said.