Russia's conviction rate for AWOL soldiers soared to 100 a week, UK officials said.
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Almost 100 Russian soldiers are convicted every week for refusing to fight in Ukraine, UK intelligence said Wednesday, part of a broader manpower crisis in the Russian military.
The UK Ministry of Defence said "the high rate of convictions demonstrates the poor state of morale in the Russian Army and the reluctance of some elements to fight.".
After mobilizing 300,000 soldiers in the autumn of 2022, Moscow set a goal of recruiting 400,000 more by December 2023.
In addition to low morale, the respected Institute for the Study of War think tank stated last week that the Russian military is suffering from infighting and shortages.
Russia's military has suffered 120,000 deaths since the start of the war, US officials told The New York Times. »
