A Russian soldier captured by Ukrainian forces claims that military enlistment officers under Russian President Vladimir Putin’s command have been coercing individuals into fighting in the Ukraine war through threats of false criminal charges.
The video, posted on Telegram by Colonel General Oleksandr Syrsky, the commander of Kyiv’s ground forces, highlights a disturbing pattern of alleged coercion within Putin’s military.
While the authenticity of the soldier’s claims cannot yet be independently verified, it adds to a series of similar accounts from Russian prisoners of war in Ukraine.
False Drug Charges
According to an English translation published by Ukrainian media outlet Ukrinform on Monday, the soldier stated that he was presented with a dire ultimatum: either join the armed forces to fight in Ukraine or face imprisonment on fabricated drug charges.
He further asserted that such threats from enlistment officers were widespread in Russia.
The soldier, described as a 32-year-old native of Russia’s Kalmykia region, had a prior criminal record and had recently been released from a penal colony.
After his release, he was instructed to report to the federal penitentiary system for supervision, where he claimed to have encountered military enlistment officers.
Blackmailed Into Fighting
To avoid the false drug charges, he signed a contract to serve in the armed forces on July 13, with the promise that his criminal record would be expunged, and he would receive a payment of 200,000 rubles (approximately $2,116). However, he alleges that he has only been paid 27,500 rubles (about $287).
During the video, the soldier also described inadequate training before being deployed to the war zone and claimed that he was assured of a promotion to a higher rank due to his college degree, which he never received. Once on the battlefield, he reported that his unit faced shortages of water and food rations. Tragically, the unit suffered a grenade attack by Ukrainian forces, leading to the soldier’s injuries, including a concussion.
Abandoned by his comrades, the soldier was on the brink of death before being captured by Ukrainian forces, who provided medical aid and saved his life.
Russia’s Desperate Measures
Other reports indicate that Russia is resorting to recruiting soldiers from neighboring Kazakhstan, offering substantial signing bonuses exceeding $5,000 to join the Russian army amidst the ongoing Ukraine conflict. Advertisements making such promises have been appearing online in Kazakhstan.
The alleged recruitment ads suggest that the Kremlin may be grappling with a manpower shortage. These ads, featuring both Russian and Kazakh flags and the slogan “shoulder to shoulder,” pledge a one-time sign-up payment of 495,000 Russian rubles (about $5,300) for contract signatories, in addition to a monthly salary of at least 190,000 rubles (around $2,000), along with undisclosed extra benefits.
Kazakhstan’s deputy foreign minister, Roman Vassilenko, previously highlighted that fighting in foreign wars is illegal under Kazakhstan’s laws.
These ads reportedly led to a recruitment website for troops joining in Russia’s Far East Sakhalin region, with the Human Capital Development Agency of the Sakhalin region listed as the website’s owner.
Kazakhstan, which shares a lengthy border with Russia and has a significant portion of its population ethnically linked to Russia, has criticized Russia’s invasion of Ukraine despite having close economic ties with its northern neighbor.
As Russia seeks new sources of military manpower, these recruitment efforts in both Russia and Kazakhstan are raising questions about the extent of Moscow’s difficulties in sustaining its military presence in Ukraine.
Georgia Gilholy is a journalist based in the United Kingdom who has been published in Newsweek, The Times of Israel, and the Spectator. Gilholy writes about international politics, culture, and education.
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