Vladimir Putin will continue forcing Russian conscripts with very little training to fight against Ukraine despite the potential for public backlash, the UK says.
All eligible men under 30 have to undertake one year of conscripted military service in Russia, and the autumn cycle is due to begin on October 1.
The MoD’s latest update on X suggests Russian leaders have consistently stated that new conscripts will not be sent to the frontline in Ukraine.
To date, conscripts have not been sent to Ukraine – but they have fought against Ukrainians in Kursk, where there is a deadly fight going on, raising concerns across Russia.
Ukrainian forces launched an unexpected incursion into the Russian region in August and now occupy at least 1,000 sq km there.
Despite efforts from Moscow’s troops, they are yet to be removed almost two months later – and the offensive is pushing the casualty rate up among Russians.
The MoD claimed: “Some parents have voiced concerns that their sons have been sent to fight after serving less than four months.”
In Russia, conscripts are only allowed to serve in a war zone after four months of training in a relevant specialisation.
The MoD continued: “The reaction of families of conscripts to their deployment in the defence of mainland Russia likely reinforces for Russian leaders the sensitivity of deploying conscripts to Ukraine itself.
“However, Russia will likely continue to force conscripts to sign contracts following their completion of service to ensure a steady supply of personnel for the war amid high attrition rates.”
The UK intelligence officers also warned in August that “poorly trained Russian soldiers are being used as cannon fodder in an attempt to overwhelm strong Ukrainian forces”.
This is not the first time Putin has faced down concerns from Russian families over their relatives serving in the war.
In June this year, Russian women took the unusual step of pressing the president to return their husbands from fighting on the frontline.
Eighteen women gathered outside the ministry of defence’s building in Moscow, but no officials came to meet the group and none of them were arrested.
The Russian president also recently announced his plan to increase the number of active troops in his army to 1.5 million, which would make it the second largest army in the world.
But Putin is still facing intense losses on the frontline in Ukraine. According to the UK’s ministry of defence (MoD), there have been 610,000 Russian casualties since the war started in February 2022.