Source, Getty Images
The British Ministry of Defense commented that Russian President Vladimir Putin’s decree to add 137 thousand additional soldiers to the Russian army “will not change the course of the Ukraine war”.
The decree, which will come into force on January 1, 2023, requests the government to create a budget accordingly.
With the decree, the number of Russia’s soldiers, which is currently over 1 million, will increase from 1 million to 150 thousand. The Russian army has about 900 thousand civilian employees.
The British Ministry of Defense attributes the fact that this move will not have an impact on the Ukraine war, partly due to “losses in the war”.
In the statement of the ministry, it is added that it is not clear whether the recruitment of additional personnel will be made with volunteers or within the scope of compulsory military service.
The British Ministry of Defense explains that the steps to be taken by Putin’s decree will not change the balance in Ukraine, on the following grounds:
- The Russian army lost tens of thousands of soldiers in Ukraine.
- Except for compulsory military service, new recruits are very low.
- Conscripts are not obligated to serve outside of Russia.
Source, EPA
Those who do their compulsory military service in Russia are not obliged to serve outside the country.
In Russia, men between the ages of 18-27 are subject to one-year compulsory military service. However, those who prove that they are students or who show health problems are exempted from compulsory military service.
Moscow denies claims that those under compulsory military service have been sent to Ukraine. After some cases where these soldiers were forced to go to Ukraine by signing agreements, some army officials came under investigation.
Military sources of Western countries say that approximately 70-80 thousand soldiers were killed or injured in Russia’s occupation of Ukraine, which lasted six months.