Apparently this explosive paper should not be made public – it is about problems with the recruitment of soldiers last autumn. The corresponding report from the Russian General Staff was briefly published on the website of the Russian Ministry of Defense – and then removed again. The investigative network “The Insider” reported on this and referred to a note in the web archive, where the document can still be viewed.
In the paper, mobilization officer Yevgeny Burdinsky, a senior staff member of the General Staff of the Russian Armed Forces, describes two major problems with the large-scale recruitment wave in September 2022.
On the one hand, the Russian army has problems with the “unwillingness of part of society to perform military tasks”. The “information pressure” of Russian bloggers plays a role in this.
The background: While many Russian military bloggers support the war, they are not shy about writing about the military’s misadventures or criticizing the Kremlin’s warfare. Opposition activists also use the network to call on citizens to oppose the mobilization. Even as Moscow tries to largely control the flow of information about the war, the bloggers’ coverage appears to be having an effect on Russia’s willingness to go to war.
According to the newspaper, raids on conscripts are planned this year. The military maintains a database of 31.6 million people, including 2.9 million conscripts, with up-to-date cell phone numbers and email addresses. The Ministry of Defense has also started sending employees from security companies to the front. Circumventing conscription has become even more difficult in Russia due to stricter rules on electronic summonses, writes The Insider.
The second problem, according to Burdinski’s paper, is “the supply of military equipment and the accommodation of personnel”. To deal with the bottlenecks, you have to rely on state and private companies.
This assessment is not surprising: over the past year, repeated reports have come to light of Russian military personnel in Ukraine complaining of lack of training, poor equipment and incompetence of commanders at the front.
The document also contains information about the strategic plans of the General Staff: for example, the creation of a new combined arms and air army, an army corps, the introduction of five new divisions and 26 brigades and the formation of the Azov naval area are planned for this year. So far, 280 new units have been formed from those mobilized in 2022, it said.
Kremlin boss Vladimir Putin ordered the mobilization of about 300,000 reservists last September, sparking real panic in Russia. Hundreds of thousands of Russians fled abroad at the time. Contrary to the Kremlin’s statements to the contrary, many people currently fear that a new wave of conscription may be planned. Moscow has not yet commented on the alleged release gap.
(yam/t-online/dpa)
Soource :Watson
I am Amelia James, a passionate journalist with a deep-rooted interest in current affairs. I have more than five years of experience in the media industry, working both as an author and editor for 24 Instant News. My main focus lies in international news, particularly regional conflicts and political issues around the world.
