• Russia is replenishing its troops with an unlikely source — African migrants and students.
  • Thousands of Africans have been forced to join in Russia’s war against Ukraine, per Bloomberg.
  • The country has also been plugging its manpower gaps by sending prison inmates to the battlefield.
  • Treczoks@lemmy.world
    link
    fedilink
    English
    arrow-up
    56
    ·
    18 days ago

    He burns whatever he can to avoid touching people in Moscow or St.Petersburg, because that would hit back.

  • Varyk@sh.itjust.works
    link
    fedilink
    English
    arrow-up
    46
    arrow-down
    2
    ·
    edit-2
    18 days ago

    Okay so they’ve used up half of their prisoners and are now forcing students into the military?

    “In fact, Russia has recruited so many inmates that it has started to close down some of its prisons.”

    There’s no way that they have this troops reserve number that is touted.

    Putin’s getting his ass kicked.

    • Habahnow@sh.itjust.works
      link
      fedilink
      English
      arrow-up
      24
      ·
      18 days ago

      I’m hoping you’re right. What I could imagine is that he just wants to burn through the prisoners since if they don’t make it back, that’s less prison costs. So even if he has reserve troops available, he’d rather use prisoners first.

      • skulblaka@startrek.website
        link
        fedilink
        English
        arrow-up
        14
        arrow-down
        1
        ·
        18 days ago

        If that was his plan he should have sent them in first before he lost 470,000 registered soldiers. This is a desperation move, and if not that, then it is one of absolutely colossal foolishness. Neither is a good look for Putin.

    • Aux@lemmy.world
      link
      fedilink
      English
      arrow-up
      6
      arrow-down
      2
      ·
      18 days ago

      Prisoners go to war for a limited time, then they get freedom. First waves of prisoners are home now and cause a lot of issues.

    • Pringles@lemm.ee
      link
      fedilink
      English
      arrow-up
      3
      arrow-down
      1
      ·
      edit-2
      17 days ago

      I think the crisis moment for Ukraine has passed mostly. The threat of a breakthrough from a couple of months ago is not gone, but stalled long enough to shore up the defensive lines and have ammunition and supplies delivered from the west (and let’s be honest here, that is still for 90% coming from the US). The strategy for Ukraine should now be to hold line and hit the supply lines.

      The sanctions that were implemented take time to really bite and you start seeing the results of these more and more.

      One thing I think Ukraine should do is start recruiting mercenaries from Nepal and other places where Russia is recruiting. Since they’re not (or rather “probably would not”) be thrown in the meat grinder, I think that after some time they can dry up those sources too, while at the same time addresing some of their own manpower issues.

  • floofloof@lemmy.ca
    link
    fedilink
    English
    arrow-up
    37
    ·
    18 days ago

    Some African workers have even been threatened with deportation if they do not agree to fight in Ukraine, one European official told Bloomberg.

    I wonder how many choose deportation as the least worst option, or whether they’re really given the choice.

    • Akasazh@feddit.nl
      link
      fedilink
      English
      arrow-up
      6
      arrow-down
      2
      ·
      17 days ago

      Putin knows damned well that if he fails to take Ukraine, the Oligarchs will have him killed

      Is thispure speculation, or do you have sources having this up?

      • Excrubulent@slrpnk.net
        link
        fedilink
        English
        arrow-up
        3
        arrow-down
        1
        ·
        17 days ago

        Isn’t it weird that the country being invaded has a lot of older soldiers joining the fight to defend their homes and children? Almost like invading a country and being invaded are two entirely different things that can’t be easily compared.

        Are you actually a tankie for modern day Russia? Are you actually trying to defend them? You know they’re just capitalists, right? Like they don’t even pretend to be socialist anymore.

        • Fidel_Cashflow@lemmy.ml
          link
          fedilink
          English
          arrow-up
          1
          arrow-down
          2
          ·
          edit-2
          17 days ago

          Are you actually a tankie for modern day Russia? Are you actually trying to defend them?

          I am posting statistics in response to claims another poster made. I am not defending anyone here. I think both sides in this conflict are horrible for various reasons. If that lines up with whatever vague definition of “tankie” we’re running with today, then I guess that makes me a tankie or whatever.

          • Excrubulent@slrpnk.net
            link
            fedilink
            English
            arrow-up
            2
            arrow-down
            1
            ·
            edit-2
            17 days ago

            Oh yeah, just out of context statistics that don’t actually relate to what was being said but just so happen to imply that Russia is better in this regard. No agenda here. Anyone not a tankie would’ve immediately denied it because tankies suck. Also a non-tankie probably wouldn’t be named fidel on the .ml instance.

            If Russia is running out of young men, that’s Russia’s fault.

            If Ukraine is running out of young men, that’s Russia’s fault.

    • nixcamic@lemmy.world
      link
      fedilink
      English
      arrow-up
      11
      arrow-down
      1
      ·
      17 days ago

      Isn’t all conscription forced?

      Also like I wouldn’t want to be drafted but isn’t it kinda progress for the Ukrainian army to draft gay people? Something most modern armies have avoided?

    • SuddenDownpour@sh.itjust.works
      link
      fedilink
      English
      arrow-up
      9
      ·
      edit-2
      17 days ago

      A separate thread about that would have been appreciated. It’s something terrible that should be called out, but posting it as a response to this is like replying: “Ok, and??? Some people of the country they’re invading are horrible anyway.”

      • TankovayaDiviziya@lemmy.world
        link
        fedilink
        English
        arrow-up
        14
        ·
        17 days ago

        I don’t get what vatniks and Russian trolls are trying to do. Yes, Ukraine is at war and conscription is enforced. So what? What do they expect from a country invaded unprovoked and in a total war as a result?

        I think what trolls are trying to do is not trying to demoralise the opponents, but reinforce the propaganda back home in Russia. Russian propaganda is already telling the Russians that they are winning and Ukraine is losing, even though Russia have lost way more soldiers than Ukrainians did in terms of ratio. Yes, Ukraine has fewer people so they are running out of soldiers and recruiting older folks; but Russia has lost plenty more but don’t want to tap the huge but politically-sensitive Russian urban population who will not appreciate being drafted.

        • PugJesus@lemmy.world
          link
          fedilink
          English
          arrow-up
          2
          arrow-down
          1
          ·
          17 days ago

          Yes, Ukraine has fewer people so they are running out of soldiers and recruiting older folks

          Other way around - the mobilization age was just lowered, from 27 to 25

      • anticolonialist@lemmy.world
        link
        fedilink
        English
        arrow-up
        4
        arrow-down
        10
        ·
        17 days ago

        Its not a ‘ok, and’ it’s pointing out the team you are cheering for is doing the same thing as the team you vilify

    • Fidel_Cashflow@lemmy.ml
      link
      fedilink
      English
      arrow-up
      1
      arrow-down
      4
      ·
      17 days ago

      Wild that this got downvoted. I guess pressganging men into combat is only bad when da ruskies do it?

  • anticurrent@sh.itjust.works
    link
    fedilink
    English
    arrow-up
    6
    arrow-down
    28
    ·
    18 days ago

    Reminds me of the press articles about how Kin Jung-UN is forcing all men in North Korea to have the same hair cut as him, and these fake news were spread around like wild fire by propagadist western media, who were confident that their people will swallow any outrageous claims made on North Korea, because they know their audience doesn’t have an ounce of critical thinking and is just thirsty for fake news to fill up their boredom

    • afraid_of_zombies@lemmy.world
      link
      fedilink
      English
      arrow-up
      3
      ·
      17 days ago

      because they know their audience doesn’t have an ounce of critical thinking

      Not like you of course. You are perfectly rational

  • anticolonialist@lemmy.world
    link
    fedilink
    English
    arrow-up
    5
    arrow-down
    48
    ·
    18 days ago

    Brought to us by the same people that claimed Russia was fighting with WWII shovels, end of war is near, sanctions will kill the Russian economy, etc.