Russia's Recruitment Plan for 400k 'Volunteers' Faces Challenges and Coercion, says UK.
Russia's plan to recruit 400,000 troops this year to replenish its ranks as part of a major recruitment campaign may face hurdles, according to the British Ministry of Defense. The ministry said that Russian media reporting suggests that authorities are preparing to start a "major military recruitment campaign" with the aim of signing up an additional 400,000 troops. However, military observers have assessed that Russian troops fighting in Ukraine are being boosted by a covert draft, because Putin fears the backlash that a widespread mobilization might cause.