Russian military with armoured vehicles Photo: Konstantin Mikhalchevsky / Sputnik
Russian commanders are forcing men mobilised in 2022 to sign contracts with the Russian Ministry of Defence, otherwise their chances of survival are reduced to 10%.
This was reported by the UK Ministry of Defence on Twitter.
Although the contracts signed with Russian soldiers have formal expiry dates, according to the independent Russian media outlet Verstka, they can be valid indefinitely. Those who refuse to sign the documents are threatened with being sent to a “meat grinder”, where the survival rate is estimated at only 10-15%.
Shortage of experienced military personnel
According to British intelligence, Russian efforts to force mobilised soldiers to sign indefinite contracts are partly motivated by a lack of experienced military personnel. Since the beginning of the full-scale invasion in 2022, Russia has lost about 860,000 killed and wounded, which has seriously reduced the number of soldiers with basic training.
“The Russian leadership also almost certainly sees such measures as a way to avoid further unpopular mobilisations. After Putin announced a partial mobilisation in 2022, hundreds of thousands of young and educated Russians left the country to avoid taking part in the illegal invasion. This has led to significant difficulties in the Russian labour market,” the British Ministry of Defence said.
Public opinion in Russia
According to the independent Levada Centre, the level of support for the war among Russians has remained virtually unchanged since February 2022. In January 2025, 78% of respondents approved of the invasion, while 15% did not. At the same time, 76% of respondents believe that the hostilities will end in a Russian victory.
However, in January 2025, a record share of respondents believing that peace talks should be launched was recorded – 61%.
