Corruption in the Russian army significantly undermines its effectiveness. Progress in the fight against bribery is unlikely in the near future.
British intelligence identified a factor undermining the Russian army's effectiveness
British intelligence analysts say that the article by the Russian publication "Verstka" is about corruption in the Russian army. Their research revealed patterns of corruption and a system of bribes used by Russian military personnel and their commanders.
Bribes were given or demanded various "services" — vacations, fitness certification, military ranks, driver's licenses, and avoiding punishment for using smartphones or drinking.
After February 2022, the set of "services" expanded. Now, bribes are taken for certificates and awards for participation in the war against Ukraine and evasion of being sent on a combat mission.
The Russian "Verstka" publication also made public the current tariffs: from 40,000 rubles demanded by Russian commanders to avoid being sent to the front to up to 1 million rubles for a certificate of injury.
Corruption has long been a problem in the Russian Armed Forces. Journalist Dmitry Kholodov investigated military corruption in the 1990s and was killed in Moscow by a briefcase bomb in October 1994. It is likely that corruption significantly undermines the effectiveness of the Russian military. There is only a remote chance that significant progress will be made in reducing corruption level, the summary says.
What is known about Russia's losses in the war against Ukraine
The Russian leadership hides the losses of its troops in the war of aggression against Ukraine. According to the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, more than 387,000 occupiers have been eliminated since the beginning of the full-scale invasion. Only on the last day, our soldiers destroyed 830 Russians.
At the same time, British intelligence emphasises that Russian losses increased in 2023. It will likely take up to 10 years for Moscow to rebuild a professional military.
Russian opposition media have confirmed a list of the names of more than 43,000 Russian soldiers who died in the war, including at least 3,000 officers. It emphasised that the actual losses of the Russian army were much higher.
