Russia is losing 6,000 more soldiers to the front every month than it is recruiting
Although Russia is recruiting about a thousand new soldiers a day for the war in Ukraine, this figure is not enough to replace the number of dead and wounded. According to Western officials, the difference between Russian losses in combat and the number of new soldiers being recruited is about 6,000 per month.
Russia is losing 6,000 more soldiers on the front lines each month than it is recruiting, The Guardian reported, citing Western officials.
The Russian government is reportedly recruiting an average of 1,000 new soldiers a day. However, over the past two months, this rate has not been enough to fully replace the number of soldiers killed and wounded on the front lines.
“Our estimates are that the difference between the number of soldiers Russia is losing in the fighting and the number it is recruiting is currently about 6,000 per month,” one of the Western officials told the publication.
According to the source, Russia has limited ability to compensate for the huge losses on the front lines by recruiting new soldiers. Western officials see this as one of the factors explaining Moscow’s recent escalation of air strikes on Ukrainian infrastructure.
According to The Guardian, the Russian military has fired more than 360 missiles into Ukraine since the beginning of July. The publication notes that Kiev's lack of ballistic missile defenses is also a significant factor in this process.
According to one Western official, Russia may try to put pressure on the psychological stability of the country's population and society by striking Ukrainian energy infrastructure during the winter.
At the same time, Western officials note that the possibility of a new large-scale mobilization in Russia could pose serious political and economic risks.
It is recalled that a large number of citizens left the country after the partial mobilization was announced in Russia in the fall of 2022. According to The Guardian, about a million people left Russia during that period, including many highly qualified specialists.
In addition, the question remains whether the Russian army has the capacity to accept, train, and equip several hundred thousand new soldiers in a short period of time in the event of a new mobilization.