Russia now so short of soldiers it may start using convicted criminals, US official says

Country could also start ‘compelling wounded soldiers to re-enter combat’

Russia could begin to deploy convicted criminals in its war against Ukraine as it looks to fill a shortage of manpower in its armed forces, an official in Washington said, citing US intelligence.

The unnamed US official on Wednesday said the Kremlin is suffering from a “severe” manpower shortage as the Ukraine invasion bleeds into its seventh month.

It is believed that the Russian defence ministry is looking to deploy short-term contract service members to the front line to make up for these personnel shortages on the battlefield, the official said, requesting anonymity.

Russia’s move to bolster its depleted forces could include “compelling wounded soldiers to re-enter combat, acquiring personnel from private security companies, and paying bonuses to conscripts,” the official said.

“Separately, we have credible reporting that Russia’s defence ministry is also likely to begin recruiting convicted criminals in Ukraine in exchange for pardons and financial compensation,” the official said.

This comes a week after Russian president Vladimir Putin signed a decree to increase the strength of the country’s armed forces to 2.04 million personnel from the current 1.9 million as the European conflict drags on.

Under the decree, Mr Putin has ordered the Russian military to increase its troops by 137,000 troops from next year.

The decree signed by the president has not explained whether the Russian military will increase its ranks by drafting a bigger number of conscripts, taking more volunteer soldiers or using a combination of both.

Even though Moscow has not shared the number of casualties from the invasion since the initial weeks in February, western intelligence has pegged deaths and injuries in the thousands.

The expansion of the Russian army will come into effect on 1 January next year.

On the frontlines, Ukraine has claimed that Russian forces are suffering from heavy casualties as the war-marred country’s military launched a counterattack in the southern region, parts of which fell to Moscow in the course of the invasion.

More than 200 Russian soldiers have been killed and a dozen tanks and artillery have also been destroyed by Ukrainian fighters, the country’s operational command “south” said in a war update on Thursday morning.

A total of 201 Russian troops were killed, 12 T-72 tanks, 18 armoured vehicles, over a dozen different artillery units and six ammo depots were destroyed by Ukraine, according to the country’s military.

On Wednesday, the military command said at least 117 Russian troops were killed and over 30 units of its military equipment, including nine T-72 tanks, three “Grad” MLRS, one Giatsint-S self-propelled gun, one Msta self-propelled howitzer and 18 units of armoured vehicles, were destroyed in southern Ukraine.