Russian soldiers in Ukraine: press service of the Russian Defence Ministry / AP

Military analysts and journalists are increasingly recording crisis phenomena in the Russian army, including a lack of medical resources and sending the wounded back into battle. This was reported by Business Insider with reference to British intelligence.

Wounded return to the front line
According to analysts, the 20th Combined Arms Army of the Russian Federation could form “assault groups” of wounded soldiers, indicating the critical state of the Russian medical system. The lack of medicines and personnel means that military units are forced to treat the wounded on their own.

Ukrainian estimates indicate that during the full-scale war, Russia has lost about 830,000 soldiers killed and wounded, of whom 400,000 need treatment outside the combat zone.

Shocking footage from the frontline
In mid-January, Ukrainian drones spotted two Russian soldiers on crutches in an open field near Pokrovsk. The drone dropped ammunition on them. The video provoked a strong reaction in Russia and further exacerbated the debate over the state of the Russian army.

Another incident caused outrage – in the published footage, a man in a military uniform was seen beating two wounded Russian soldiers with a baton and using a stun gun. Authorities in the city of Kyzyl (Tuva, Russia) announced the launch of an investigation.

Russia is trying to “buy” recruits
With signs of army depletion, the Kremlin is increasing financial incentives for recruiting contract soldiers. In some regions of the Russian Federation, cash payments for recruits are almost equal to American military salaries.

Despite its economic isolation, Russia plans to spend almost a third of its federal budget on defence in 2025 – 13.5 trillion rubles (approximately $135 billion). This is record spending on military needs, indicating a crisis in the army and the Kremlin’s attempts to hold the frontline at all costs.