As CNN has learned, Russia's recruiting machine has finally begun to malfunction. In fact, the Russian army may be left without its main trump card in the war against Ukraine.
Points of attention
- To sustain the war effort, Putin may have to make unpopular decisions and overlook economic problems, risking further repercussions for his regime.
- The situation indicates that Russia is losing more soldiers than it can recruit, signaling a potential shift in the power dynamics between Russia and Ukraine.
Russia has serious problems with mobilization
For over 4 years, the Kremlin did everything possible to drive a record number of invaders onto the battlefield.
Dictator Vladimir Putin's team promised potential soldiers anomalous payments for signing a contract and the possibility of writing off debts of up to 10 million rubles.
However, the situation has recently begun to change dramatically. According to Janis Kluge, recruitment to the Russian Armed Forces in the first quarter of this year decreased by as much as 20% compared to 2025. Everything indicates that this process is only getting worse.
There are signs that this incentive may no longer be effective, and that Russia has begun to lose more soldiers than it can recruit, experts say.
It is likely that Putin will have to make a number of more unpopular decisions in 2026 in order to be able to continue the war against Ukraine.
Also, to do this, the Kremlin leader will need to ignore serious problems in the Russian economy.
What is important to understand is that the depletion of men of draft age has led to a massive labor shortage.
The entire Russian economy is suffering from the most acute labor shortage in history, American journalists emphasize.
