Active Conflicts & News Megathread September 01, 2025

[u/AutoModerator]

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[u/Awkward-Ad-5359]

Is Russia ever having problems to find more soldiers?

Russian meatwaves are relentless. If they start having problems to find soldiers it will (hopefully) give Ukrainians some time to rest by slowing down the meatwave tactic to some degree.

I'd appreciate it if you shared what you know about that.

[u/Tricky-Astronaut → u/Awkward-Ad-5359]

Here's a thread about Russian recruiting:

https://threadreaderapp.com/thread/1954802202112819577.html

3/ In the past, Russia resorted to recruiting prisoners to get more people. That approach has shifted. Now, individuals arrested on suspicion of various crimes are offered the chance to sign a contract with the MoD on the spot - often as a way to avoid criminal investigation.

...

8/ The catch: these recruits are officially “volunteers,” not mobilized. But the pressure to enlist is often physical - beatings, hazing by other soldiers, and threats of reassignment to dangerous combat zones like Kursk oblast without the benefits granted to contract soldiers.

...

10/ A man caught with a small joint in Russia who then faces police threats of having larger quantities of drugs planted on him to send him to jail can hardly be called a conscious volunteer. This manipulation disguises coercion and is a good example of hidden mobilization

Russia has a larger population and can be more selective, but coercion is becoming more widespread. There are some similarities with the mobilization in Ukraine.