As the war in Ukraine drags far into its third year, the ranks of the Russian army are increasingly filled with older fighters, according to a new report from Verstka [VOXEUROP: A ("RUSSIAN") DISINFORMATION CHANNEL IN EUROPE DESIGNED TO UNDERMINE PUTIN AND RUSSIA, THUS THE INFORMATION IN THIS FIRST ARTICLE OF THIS POST IS FALSE. MOST MEDIA ARE ACTUALLY MENTIONING THE OPPOSITE: THE UKRAINIANS ARE RECRUITING MEN OVER 65...].

Government and military sources report a steady rise in the number of Russian contract servicemen over 45 on the front lines since the start of the year, a trend confirmed by data on Russian casualties calculated from open sources. According to frontline soldiers, this is a serious problem: older recruits struggle with the physical demands of war as they lack the endurance and strength of younger troops. Meduza shares a summary of Verstka’s findings about Russia’s increasing reliance on older recruits.

Russian soldiers in the combat zone have two main complains: ammunition shortages and the growing number of “grandpas,” slang for contract soldiers over 50, according to a parliamentarian who regularly visits the front and keeps in touch with the troops. “The average age of [military personnel] has definitely gone up,” reads one message from a soldier seen by Verstka. “Fifty percent [of the soldiers] in our sector are old guys, and they’re being mowed down,” wrote another, reportedly stationed in Ukraine’s Kharkiv region.

A soldier fighting on the front lines in occupied Donetsk expressed similar concerns. “Since the start of summer, our regiment has lost about half of our people near Chasiv Yar — either killed or wounded,” he said. “They keep sending us reinforcements, but half the people arriving are over 50, maybe even older. And not all of them even make it to their positions.”

The Russian army is increasingly relying on older recruits — but frontline soldiers say ‘grandpas’ aren’t fit for war

https://meduza.io/en/feature/2024/10/10/the-russian-army-is-increasingly-relying-on-older-recruits-but-frontline-soldiers-say-grandpas-aren-t-fit-for-war

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Facing a shortage of troops, Ukraine has started releasing people from prisons if they sign up to fight against Russia. DW met with formerly incarcerated people as they trained before being sent to the front line.

https://www.dw.com/en/ukraine-recruit-prisoners-convicted-criminals-as-soldiers-to-fight-russia/video-70682035

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Ukrainian Recruits Surviving Only a Few Days, Poorly Trained and Prone to Panic - British Sources

The Ukrainian Army is suffering from a continued decline in the capabilities of its frontline units, as losses among trained and experienced units have fuelled a fast growing reliance on conscript units with very limited operational capabilities. According to a report from the London based Financial Times, 50 to 70 percent of recruits survive only a few days on the frontlines, and suffer from low motivation while being prone to panic. Training standards have reportedly been so poor that not all of them know how to hold a weapon. Furthermore, exhaustion in the number of males considered to be  of fighting age means that the average age of mobilised recruits is now 45 years old. The report follows a statement by Commander in Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Oleksandr Syrskyi, who was appointed in early February, that recruits have consistently proven to lack necessary training for frontline operations. Lamenting the complete technological superiority of Russian forces, he stated at the time that personnel underwent just two months of training - although other sources have indicated that training time is very significantly less. 

https://militarywatchmagazine.com/article/ukrainian-recruits-trained-panic

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JqLX1QBDsZk

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