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Transcript/ScriptRUSSIA UKRAINE MOBILIZATION
HEADLINE: Facing stresses, Russia scrambles to mobilize more forces
TEASER: Independent reports say Moscow is turning to foreign recruits
PUBLISHED: 09/19/2024 at 3:05p
BYLINE: Ricardo Marquina
DATELINE: Undated
VIDEOGRAPHER: Ricardo Marquina
PRODUCER:
SCRIPT EDITORS: LR, MAS
VIDEO SOURCES: VOA ORIGINAL, REUTERS
PLATFORMS: WEB __ TV _X_ RADIO _X_
TRT: 2:24
VID APPROVED BY: Reifenrath
TYPE: TV/R
EDITOR NOTES: FOR PRODUCTION THURSDAY; MARCUS HARTON NARRATES ENGLISH VERSION; LINKS TO SOURCES BELOW))
((INTRO)) [[Moscow's decision this week to expand its military capabilities is a sign of the stress that its military is facing in the third year of its slow-moving full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Analysts say the mobilization's unpopularity and other factors are driving Russia to look for mercenaries from other countries. Marcus Harton narrates this report from Ricardo Marquina.]]
((NARRATOR))
On September 16th, Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a decree to raise the size of the Russian army by 180,000 troops to 2.38 million soldiers, the world's second largest after China.
((NARRATOR))
Kremlin officials say the increase is due to its full-scale invasion of Ukraine, but also to respond to what Moscow describes as "threats" from NATO on its western flank.
Russia two years ago called a massive mobilization that brought 300,000 soldiers into its army. But analysts say Russian leaders are having to try a different route this time.
[[RADIO VERSION: Natia Seskuria, associate fellow at London's Royal United Services Institute.]]
((Natia Seskuria, Royal United Services Institute - FEMALE - IN ENGLISH - ORIGINAL VOA))
“(The) mobilization that was announced by President Putin was quite unpopular inside Russia. // Russia has been recruiting from other nations such as India, Nepal,
Indonesia. // From open sources what we know is that these people are usually those who are unemployed and they are willing to accept these financial incentives. “
((NARRATOR))
Investigative reporting by independent media including The Moscow Times and The Kyiv Independent found that agents have promised fighting-age people relatively high salaries in countries such as Sri Lanka, Indonesia, India and Nepal. The Kremlin has never confirmed or denied such practices.
The reports say those recruited abroad would not be assigned to mercenary forces like the Wagner Group but to the regular Russian army.
[[RADIO VERSION: Mark Hannah is a Senior Fellow at the Institute for Global Affairs in New York.]]
((Mark Hannah, Institute for Global Affairs MALE - IN ENGLISH - ORIGINAL VOA))
((ZOOM CALL))
https://instituteforglobalaffairs.org/about/team/mark-hannah/
“They need to, from their standpoint, win the war and achieve their military objectives, achieve their war aims. And the best way for them to do it is to hire low-cost mercenaries from the Global South who are willing to fight and die alongside Russians."
((NARRATOR))
The number of casualties in this war continues to rise. The Wall Street Journal reports the total number of soldiers and civilians killed or wounded on both sides has already reached one million people. Western intelligence sources say 600,000 of them have been Russian.
((For Ricardo Marquina, Marcus Harton, VOA News))
NewsML Media TopicsArts, Culture, Entertainment and Media
Subtitles / Dubbing AvailableNo
NetworkVOA
Embargo DateSeptember 19, 2024 18:03 EDT
Brand / Language ServiceVoice of America - English
