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Russia continues to increase the number of its troops. Photo/
MOSCOW – Russia has seen a significant surge in the number of people signing contracts to join the armed forces since last month’s deadly attack on a concert hall near Moscow
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In a Russian Defense Ministry statement, it said more than 100,000 people had signed contracts with the military since the start of this year, including around 16,000 in the last 10 days alone.
“During interviews conducted over the past week at selection points in Russian cities, most candidates indicated the desire to avenge those killed in the tragedy that occurred on March 22, 2024 in the Moscow region as the main motive for completing the contract,” the ministry said Russian Defense, reported by .
But Russia said the attackers had links to Ukraine – something Kyiv has repeatedly denied and the United States has dismissed as nonsense.
Russia is counting on a steady stream of new recruits to its armed forces to wage the war in Ukraine, now in its third year.
President Vladimir Putin ordered the unpopular recruitment of 300,000 people by September 2022 but said there was no need for any more mandatory mobilization because the number of voluntary contract signatories was so large.
Posters in Russian cities praise soldiers fighting in Ukraine as patriots and heroes, and many of those who enlist are attracted by much higher salaries than they could earn as civilians.
Russia, which invaded Ukraine in February 2022, has slowly made progress in the past two months after Ukraine’s counteroffensive last year failed to produce significant progress.
Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu said last month that Moscow would strengthen its military by adding two new armies and 30 new formations by the end of this year.
(ahm)
