UK intel: Russia may bring back labour conscription

Russia is currently experiencing a labour shortage that is becoming a significant problem in some sectors.

“According to estimates by the independent Russian media outlet Izvestia, Russia had a 4.8 million shortage of workers in 2023. As an example, the Russian transport and logistics industry was unable to fill 25 per cent of its truck driver vacancies during 2023,” Caliber.Az reports, citing the UK Defence Intelligence update on the situation in Ukraine.

"The labour shortage has at least in part been caused by Russia's war in Ukraine, which has led to mobilisation of parts of the working population and emigration by some skilled professionals seeking to avoid the call-up. More recently, the labour shortage has been exacerbated by restrictions on migrant employment implemented following the 22 March 2024 ISIS-K terrorist incident in Moscow," the intel data says.

"As a result of the labour shortages, a group of Russian parliamentarians are looking at possible amendments to the Russian labour code. If enacted, it would mean that excess labour force could be moved under state supervision to a place of work which lacks sufficient labour. The moves will be temporary and workers will only be transferred with their consent. However, although not coercive, it is a potential move towards the mobilisation of labour," the report adds.