By: Emily Chu

Multiple soldiers in Russia report that they have been treated unfairly after returning from the battlefield. Some say that they have been mistreated after returning to Russia. Others claim to have been denied treatment for severe injuries. One, Nikolai Lipa, said that he hasn’t been paid for his service.

The Russian government has not helped those who spoke out. An aide to Ramzan Kadyrov, a lieutenant general in the Russian military, forced the soldiers recant and deny what they stated earlier.

“I was paid much more than they promised,” Lipa said.

After these incidents, and despite the cover-ups, it is no wonder that the Russian government has launched a “stealth mobilization” campaign to recruit soldiers without resorting to a draft.

“Russia has a problem with recruitment and mobilization,” said Kamil Galeev, a Russian analyst. “It is basically desperate to get more men using any means possible.”

However, the rising death toll has created concern among parents.

Russian men aged 18 to 27 are required to serve in the army for 12 months. However, the Russian government banned this type of recruitment after an outcry from the public. The fact that it has recruited hundreds of men who were already in Ukraine created an even bigger outrage among families and parents.

“Such piecemeal efforts sustain the war, but do not address the fundamental manpower deficit,” writes Neil MacFarquhar in the New York Times. “While Ukraine faces similar problems, what it lacks in professional soldiers it compensates for in enthusiastic volunteers.”

The Russian government has also tried using payment as a way to lure in more recruits. The promised salaries promised, ranging from $2,000 to $6,000 per month, are much higher than the average monthly salary of most people in Russia, which is around $700.

“It may be that it is necessary to get them into the army, and when they are already in the army, figure out what to do,” said Galeev.

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