Mark Voyge, a former special adviser on Russian and Eurasian relations at the US military’s European command, has said that Vladimir Putin has called on Kremlin-backed companies to recruit mercenaries to fight in Ukraine in order to they face the Ukrainian counteroffensive during the winter.
Voyger emphasized that this plan will fail for Putin, since the recruited people “are not real soldiers”, but the Russian president will continue to see this idea through to the end.
It is reported that the Russian army has fled in panic from the Kharkiv region after Moscow ordered a withdrawal, leaving behind a lot of ammunition and weapons of various calibers.
TV stations supporting Russia’s war in Ukraine are beginning to capitulate and are skeptical of the Russian military’s effectiveness in Ukraine — with some even calling for mass mobilization to prevent further losses.
Until now, the Kremlin has “resisted” this call, but a number of analysts have announced that recruitment from the Russian provinces has begun.
“In terms of recruiting soldiers, Putin has promoted the idea of Russian state-owned companies actually organizing their own mercenary units — who they pay and send to fight for Russia in Ukraine,” Voyger added.