How Russia keeps filling its ranks despite heavy battlefield losses?

Despite massive battlefield losses in Ukraine, Russia is steadily replenishing its military through a mix of generous pay, patriotic appeals, and the contentious use of prisoners, according to Al Jazeera.

Ivan Chenin, a Moscow student turned volunteer, joined the Thunder Cascade unit after initially delivering aid to separatist-held Donetsk and Luhansk.

“I served as an operator of a reconnaissance UAV. My duties included surveillance and reconnaissance of enemy territory. If a target was detected, I reported to the commander, after which we controlled it. Then the artillery or missile systems worked,” he told Al Jazeera.

Chenin is one of nearly half a million Russians who enlisted last year, either as contract soldiers or members of volunteer units. While Ukraine struggles to maintain troop levels, Russia has continued to meet and even exceed its recruitment goals.

In April, Vadym Skibitsky, deputy head of Ukraine’s military intelligence, stated that “the Russian Federation’s recruitment plans are being fulfilled by at least 105 to 110 per cent each month,” keeping Moscow on track to increase its forces in Ukraine by 150,000 soldiers this year.

A key factor behind Russia’s ability to maintain its numbers is a shift in battlefield tactics, which has reduced casualties. Oleg Ignatov, senior Russia analyst at Crisis Group, noted: “Russia has almost stopped using heavy equipment on the battlefield because it is highly vulnerable to drones.

Russia has not attacked with large groups of soldiers for a long time. Russia uses small groups, sometimes one or two people, to gradually infiltrate Ukrainian army positions under the cover of drones and artillery. This reduces casualties.”

Domestic enforcement and recruitment policies also play a role. While fears of conscription initially drove many young men abroad, police raids and regional recruitment drives have eased such concerns. A human rights lawyer from Appeal to Conscience explained: “Since 2022, instead of conscription for mobilisation, the regions have been given the task of recruiting contract soldiers. Only those recruited under contract can … participate in the war.” The lawyer added that some recruiters exploit legal ambiguities to pressure men into signing contracts.

Financial incentives are significant. Last year, Putin offered new contract soldiers a federal bonus of 400,000 roubles (about $4,970), with regional authorities often doubling the sum and providing monthly salaries of 204,000 roubles ($2,500) plus housing and loan support. The poorest and most economically depressed regions have proven particularly fertile recruitment grounds, especially among those with criminal records or migrants.

Prisoner recruitment further supplements Russia’s forces. Convicted prisoners, and more recently those under investigation, have been released to fight in Ukraine, with survival granting freedom and social rehabilitation. “On average, 50 people leave [prison] colonies in a single stream, about once a week, so you can imagine the scale of the outflow,” said Ivan Chuviliaev, spokesman for Go By The Forest. The policy has contributed to a sharp decline in Russia’s prison population, now at a record low of 313,000.

Yet patriotism remains a strong motivator. Chenin emphasised the role of national loyalty: “The first and most important thing is love for the motherland. Everything else is secondary. All the guys I served with were real Russians in the broadest sense of the word, because they went to war at the call of their hearts. I especially remember my Buryat brother in arms – for me, he is an example of true brotherhood and loyalty.”

Through a mix of monetary rewards, legal incentives, tactical adjustments, and patriotic sentiment, Russia continues to maintain its military presence in Ukraine despite heavy losses, underscoring the resilience of its recruitment strategies.

By Aghakazim Guliyev