MOSCOW: Russia is having trouble recruiting new troops to fight in Ukraine and has even turned to prisons, according to a senior US defense official. Many of the new recruits are also older, with poor physical condition, and lack of training.
The representative referred to Russian President Vladimir Putin's order from last Thursday to increase the size of the army by about 10% to 1.15 million starting in January.
Since it invaded Ukraine six months ago, Russia has suffered significant setbacks and significant military losses. According to the official, "this effort is unlikely to succeed, as Russia has historically not been able to meet personnel and strength targets."
On condition of anonymity, the official informed reporters that "Russia is already trying to expand recruitment efforts."
According to the official, they have achieved this to some extent by eliminating the maximum age for fresh recruits and recruiting prisoners. The official said that "many of these new recruits are seen as old, unqualified and poorly trained."
By the end of the year, the Pentagon has determined that no additional recruits can significantly increase overall combat power, the official said.
The official claimed that even before the war, Russia's armed forces could be 150,000 less than its stated target of one million.
Since the February 24 invasion, 70–80,000 Russians have been killed or wounded in Ukraine, according to an estimate by US Defense Secretary Colin Kahl in early August.
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