- 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.
Wild that this got downvoted. I guess pressganging men into combat is only bad when da ruskies do it?
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.”
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.
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.
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
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.
- names itself anticolonialist
- Defends Russian colonization of Ukraine
- Fails to cope
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?
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.
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.
and now that they’re fresh out of young men, they’re press-ganging old men and anyone else who can hold a rusty rifle and get their ass shot off in Ukraine.
The average age of a Ukrainian soldier is 43 years old.
Isn’t it weird that the country being invaded has a lot of older soldiers joining the fight to defend their homes and children? Almost like invading a country and being invaded are two entirely different things that can’t be easily compared.
Are you actually a tankie for modern day Russia? Are you actually trying to defend them? You know they’re just capitalists, right? Like they don’t even pretend to be socialist anymore.
Are you actually a tankie for modern day Russia? Are you actually trying to defend them?
I am posting statistics in response to claims another poster made. I am not defending anyone here. I think both sides in this conflict are horrible for various reasons. If that lines up with whatever vague definition of “tankie” we’re running with today, then I guess that makes me a tankie or whatever.
Putin knows damned well that if he fails to take Ukraine, the Oligarchs will have him killed
Is thispure speculation, or do you have sources having this up?
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.
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.
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’m kind of into those countries pouring their precariously accumulated currencies into a shredder.
Yeah but that shredder is Ukrainian soldiers dying.
So maybe dial down your enthusiasm a bit.
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.
