In temporarily occupied Crimea, the Russian-installed authorities have ramped up advertising for contractual army service. According to Krym.Realii, the number of outdoor advertising sites and online ads for military service has recently increased.
Since Russia annexed the peninsula in 2014, it has turned Crimea into a military base from which Moscow forces regularly launch missiles and drones into Ukrainian-controlled territory. Russia also uses a broad range of tools to recruit as many Crimean residents as possible for its war against Ukraine.
Previously, the Representation of Ukraine’s President in the Autonomous Republic of Crimea reported that at least 813 Russian soldiers who died on the Ukrainian front lines had been buried on the peninsula.
Currently, Russia attempts to promote service in its armed forces through visual advertising, high monetary payments, and free plots of land.
“We have received information that employment centers are now holding more frequent meetings between the unemployed and military registration and enlistment office representatives. They claim that the war will end by autumn, suggesting that recruits won’t even have time to fight after training.
However, they will still receive the status of ‘Special Military Operation’ participants, which opens doors to lifelong benefits. When asked about health requirements, they respond that the main criterion is the ability to carry a thirty-kilogram load. They are recruiting volunteers up to sixty years old, and those with officer ranks up to sixty-five,” said an anonymous activist from #LiberateCrimea.
The activist noted that the increase in recruitment efforts has two explanations but only one underlying reason.
“First, the new Russian Minister of Defense has increased the quota for recruiting contract soldiers in Crimea. Second, most of those in Crimea who wanted to sign a contract have already done so. Therefore, in both cases, the Crimean authorities are struggling to meet the recruitment targets set by the Russian Ministry of Defense, which is why there has been a sharp increase in recruitment activities,” the activist noted.
Earlier, Ukrainian intelligence operatives blew up a power substation in temporarily occupied Sevastopol in Crimea, a law enforcement source told Liga. Occupying authorities attributed the city’s power outage to an alleged short circuit.
Ukrainian forces regularly attack military targets in occupied Sevastopol, which is home base to Russia’s Black Sea Fleet, with pro-Ukrainian locals consistently providing intelligence.
Read more:
- Occupied Crimea head creates private armies ahead of Ukraine’s offensive
- Top Russian official doubts regular army can defend occupied Crimea – UK Intel
- Majority of Ukrainians reject giving Donbas and Crimea to Russia, say reconciliation impossible – poll
- Russia to use Crimea as launchpad to invade Ukraine again if Ukraine doesn’t take it back – Ukraine FM
