Russia intensifies recruitment

RUSSIA / FSU POLITICS - In Brief 21 Apr 2023 by Alex Teddy

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On April 18 a Russian newspaper, Novaya Gazeta Europe, reported the efforts, which include a campaign of 53,000 adverts on a social media outlet. This is a 7-fold increase on the 2022 recruitment campaign. The adverts are in pages related to employment, local media, medical services, libraries and kindergartens. Novaya Gazeta is an opposition newspaper so its report must be treated with caution. There is scant corroboration of this story in other Russian media. However, the mainstream Russian media is not contradicting the story, either. There is a very broad gamut of reporting on the war in the Russian mediaspace. Russia needs more troops to replace losses. Moreover, Ukraine is thought to be preparing a counteroffensive. Wagner Group has advertised for volunteers, as has the Russian Army. In March 2023 Bloomberg reported that Russia had a recruitment target of 400,000. The 2022 recruitment campaign fell well short of its target, necessitating the draft of men who had already been discharged from military service. The government wants to avoid repeating that because it is unpopular and causes emigration. The government has prepared for a large draft in case it needs one and has readied measures to stop draftees from leaving the country.