Russia is suffering “mounting casualties” on the battlefield in Ukraine and is trying to recruit foreigners to replace its depleted troop numbers, Britain’s Ministry of Defence has said.
The Kremlin has tried to sign up salaried recruits from Armenia, Kazakhstan and Uzbek migrant builders, the MoD said in a statement.
It added: “Russia likely wishes to avoid further unpopular domestic mobilisation measures in the run-up to the 2024 presidential elections.
Earlier, Russia targeted Ukraine’s Odesa region with a sustained three-and-a-half-hour drone attack in the early hours of this morning, the Ukrainian military says, hitting key port infrastructure on the Danube River.
The Danube River is Ukraine’s main route for exporting grain to the world, after Russia pulled out of a UN deal allowing it to safely ship its produce via the Black Sea.