Putin spares elite and shifts burden of war onto poor regions, UK intelligence says
Photo: Vladimir Putin, Russian President (Getty Images)
Russia continues to wage war against Ukraine largely using representatives of ethnic minorities from impoverished regions. The elite is virtually not involved in the fighting, according to an intelligence update from the United Kingdom.
UK intelligence has noted that Russia has continued to suffer very high losses since the start of its full-scale invasion of Ukraine. It is likely that in both 2024 and 2025, Russian losses exceeded 400,000 killed and wounded. Notably, however, ethnic Russians living in cities continue to make up a disproportionately small share of military personnel and, consequently, casualties compared with the rest of the population.
In particular, UK intelligence notes that the independent Russian media outlet Proekt recently reported that fewer than 1% of Russian government officials have relatives who took part in the illegal invasion.
British intelligence explained that recruiting in impoverished regions, often predominantly populated by ethnic minorities, allows Russian authorities to use financial incentives more effectively while limiting the impact on urban segments of the Russian population that have greater political influence.
"Russian President Putin (Russian President Vladimir Putin – ed.) and Russia’s senior leadership are almost certainly prepared to tolerate continuously high casualty rates so long as this does not negatively affect public or elite support for the war, and those losses can be replaced," the intelligence report added.
Shortage of volunteers in Russia
Earlier, the Center for Countering Disinformation reported that the Russian authorities had devised a new scheme to mobilize citizens for the war against Ukraine.
Specifically, Russian police are offering detainees the option of signing a contract with Russia’s Ministry of Defense instead of serving a prison sentence.
