According to Russian news outlet Siberia Realities, a Russian official has admitted that there are high casualties among soldiers in Ukraine. Alexander Avdonin, head of military recruitment in Russia’s far-east Republic of Sakha, made this revelation during a closed-door government meeting. The leaked video, shared by the anti-war Free Yakutia Foundation on Telegram, showed Avdonin stating that the region had recruited the fewest number of volunteers compared to other republics in Russia’s Far Eastern Military District. He mentioned that they had only fulfilled one-third of their recruitment quota.
To address the shortage, Avdonin urged officials to send 15 soldiers per week from each of the republic’s 36 districts until the end of the year. He warned that failure to comply could lead to trouble with the Kremlin for him and other local officials. Avdonin emphasized, “We have the lowest percentage, so there will be some repercussions,” as translated by The Moscow Times.
Avdonin also revealed that Russia’s defense ministry, along with Dmitry Medvedev, deputy chairman of Russia’s Security Council, are closely monitoring recruitment numbers and already raising questions about the situation. The Sakha region is projected to fall short of the Kremlin’s annual target for 2023 by 20%, requiring them to make up the numbers in 2024, as disclosed in a separate leaked video.
Avdonin further highlighted the grim reality at the frontlines, stating, “It might seem that things have become easier there at the frontlines. [But] it’s not any easier. Boys are dying in the trenches every day.”
The Kremlin has faced difficulties in revitalizing its mobilization campaign since the last call-up in September 2022. Mobilizing troops in Russia is considered unpopular, and the government aims to avoid such measures in the lead-up to the presidential elections scheduled for March 2023, as stated by the UK Ministry of Defence in October.
US officials have estimated that approximately 120,000 Russian soldiers have died since the full-scale invasion of Ukraine began in February 2022, according to The New York Times in August.
