Russia bolsters army, sending conscripts to Ukraine - ISW
Photo: Russian conscripts being sent to war in Ukraine (Getty Images)
The Russian Ministry of Defense has increasingly been forcing conscripts to sign contracts for military service in order to participate in combat operations in Ukraine. This likely aims to create more assault forces to sustain the current pace of offensive operations, reports the Institute for the Study of War (ISW).
The report referenced a story by the Tatar-Bashkir Service of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, Idel Realii, which shared an appeal from the parents of Russian conscripts serving in a military unit in Russia's Chebarkul, Chelyabinsk region. The appeal was directed to President Vladimir Putin's hotline on December 19.
The appeal stated that Russian military officials are coercing their children into signing contracts for military service in the Russian Armed Forces.
Opposition outlet Mobilization News reported on December 18 that a Russian conscript from the Pskov region recently died under unclear circumstances in the temporarily occupied Zaporizhzhia region.
Strengthening the army
Meanwhile, Russian Chief of the General Staff Army General Valery Gerasimov stated during a briefing on December 18 for foreign military attaches that the Russian Aerospace Forces are completing the formation of the first S-500 anti-aircraft missile regiment.
Gerasimov also mentioned that Russian military officials are finishing tests on the Knyaz Pozharsky nuclear-powered submarine of the Borei-A class, which is armed with ballistic missiles. According to him, by 2028, the Russian Navy plans to add two more Borei-class submarines to its fleet.
Black Sea fleet status
Ukrainian military analyst Petro Chernyk stated on December 18 that the Ukrainian Armed Forces have damaged or destroyed up to 28 Russian surface vessels since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine began in February 2022.
Chernyk noted that Ukrainian forces have damaged or destroyed 10 of the 15 amphibious assault ships of the Russian Black Sea Fleet, but the fleet still retains 20 carriers of Kalibr cruise missiles.
He added that the destruction of amphibious assault ships is particularly significant, as Russia relies on them for transporting supplies to the temporarily occupied Crimea. At the same time, he noted that Russia can no longer build amphibious assault ships.
Dmytro Pletenchuk, spokesperson of the Ukrainian Navy, reported in February 2024 that the Russian Black Sea Fleet had nearly 80 units of naval combat equipment at the start of Russia's full-scale invasion.
Frontline situation and enemy's losses
Since the beginning of the full-scale war, Russian military casualties have exceeded 765,000 personnel.
On December 8, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated that the Ukrainian Armed Forces' losses for the entire duration of the war amounted to approximately 43,000 servicemen.
According to Commander-in-Chief of the Ukrainian Armed Forces Oleksandr Syrskyi, the number of Russian troops in Ukraine has increased by 100,000 since the beginning of this year.
