Russian Recruitment Challenges: Escalating Costs of Manpower (spiegel.de)

• Significant rise in state-funded signing bonuses
• Relaxation of recruitment eligibility standards
• Structural pressure on military manpower sustainability

"Russian authorities are facing severe difficulties in meeting recruitment quotas for the ongoing war in Ukraine. To address attrition rates, Moscow has significantly increased financial incentives for new recruits. Simultaneously, eligibility standards have been relaxed, reflecting a desperate need to maintain force strength. This escalation in signing bonuses serves as a proxy for the internal pressure on the Russian state to sustain its military operations despite substantial manpower losses."