Putin's Regime Turns to Violence and Coercion to Fill Shrinking Army Ranks

The Ukrainian General Staff recorded a peak of 42,860 Russian casualties in July, underscoring a severe manpower shortfall as the war turns against Moscow. In response, the Kremlin and Defense Ministry have authorized a campaign that seizes men in public, transports them to recruitment offices and uses physical force to secure signatures. Lawyers for victims and anti-war NGOs report that police sometimes hand over arrested individuals to recruiters who beat them before dispatching them to the front.

Cash bounties of about $1,300 are being advertised to encourage citizens to bring friends to enlistment points, while some officials allegedly threaten to plant drugs to justify arrests. Residents of Penza have filmed forced conscription incidents, prompting the regional Interior Ministry to dismiss the claims and threaten legal action against alleged misinformation. Despite the harsh tactics, enlistment numbers have not risen, and U.S. officials warn of a possible new wave of forced mobilization, while Russia’s economy suffers from a severe energy crisis caused by Ukrainian drone attacks.