Kremlin struggles with army shortages, enlists disabled troops
Both Ukraine and Russia are facing significant staffing issues in their armies. Reports have emerged of conscripts being forcibly taken from the streets on both sides. However, there is a notable difference: the Kremlin does not hesitate to enlist the disabled and those recovering from injuries.
Despite Kremlin propaganda's constant claims that there are no problems recruiting volunteers, incentives for signing contracts have repeatedly increased. The most recent increase occurred in February, marking the fourth rise in the past year. The Russian government is doing everything possible to maintain an average of 30,000 new monthly army contracts over the past year.
This scale of enlistment means that the mobilized and volunteers barely manage to cover the army's monthly losses in Ukraine over the past six months.
The Kremlin is doing everything it can to avoid a general mobilization. It admits that its army faces challenges in personnel replenishment and that the "special military operation" is not proceeding as planned. As a result, forced conscriptions are becoming more frequent, even in hospitals and rehabilitation centres.
Roundups of the disabled
Aleksei Gauna was injured at the front, suffering serious leg injuries that left him permanently disabled. Consequently, he was officially recognized as having a third-degree disability by the State Bureau of Medical and Social Examinations of the Volgograd Oblast.
Upon returning from rehabilitation and submitting his documents to his unit, he was arrested by military police, who labeled him a deserter. Following a decision by the military prosecutor, he was assigned to a penal battalion and sent back to the front. Since then, no contact has been made with him.
Gauna's case, initially reported in June of last year, might have seemed isolated, but it is not. Increasing reports indicate that contract soldiers, after recovery, are presented to medical commissions and, instead of being discharged, are sent back to the front. More videos, recorded by soldiers, document such abuses.
In the village of Troitskaya in the Republic of Ingushetia, convalescents from the 503rd Guards Motorized Rifle Regiment who came for a medical commission were loaded onto trucks and taken back to the trenches. Comments on Telegram channels suggest that the command believes the wounded will recover at the front, and if they can already move around, it means they are fit for battle.
A similar situation occurred in Yekaterinburg. However, there were dozens of wounded and maimed soldiers who rebelled and refused to return to fight. The military police intervened, and they are all already in the Luhansk Oblast today.
Removed from hospitals
Individuals arriving for military commissions seek to have a discharge recorded in their military book, so the wounded can receive compensation and a possible pension, unknowingly entering a dangerous situation. However, sometimes the authorities are proactive in seeking them out.
In Yeysk, located by the Sea of Azov, soldiers were forcibly removed from the hospital and placed in vehicles to be transported to Donbas. According to Russian social media, one of these soldiers has just had two surgeries and requires another. This individual is missing a finger and relies on crutches for mobility.
Others still have postoperative drains or metal stabilizers in their limbs but will soon be sent to fight. Russians are beginning to question why the disabled are being sent back to war, risking death on the journey. Initial protests have started to surface.
Novosibirsk doctor Valery Illarionov organized a one-person protest in the city centre, addressing the Ministry of Defence: "Who gave you the right to treat our fathers, sons, brothers, and husbands this way? The war will end, and you will be asked why you maimed our people. No one gave you that right. Soldiers come to us sent to the front on crutches. They say you'll crawl to the battle if you can't walk. What is this? Who creates such an army? It's complete chaos!" he says in a recording.
The reserves are about 25 million people who underwent military training as part of compulsory service. Theoretically, over two-thirds are disqualified from frontline service due to age or health issues.
Therefore, Russia’s Ministry of Defence has proposed lowering health requirements for contract soldiers. Despite this, there remains a lack of volunteers, with very few coming from poor provinces currently. Penal colonies are now being used as a source. Before long, the Kremlin may need to appeal to Russians from major cities, who have led peaceful lives.
