The Russian Defense Ministry has said that army recruitment has increased since the attack on a Moscow concert in March. Meanwhile, Ukraine has said it shot done more Russian drones.
The Russian Defense Ministry said on Wednesday that it had recorded a significant increase in the number of Russians signing up for military service this year, and especially since the attack on a concert hall in Moscow in March.
Since the start of the year, it claims that “more than 100,000 people” have enrolled in the Armed Forces, with “about 16,000” signing up to take part in the “special military operation” in the last ten days alone, the ministry said on social media platform Telegram.
“During interviews held over the past week at recruitment points in Russian cities, most candidates indicated a desire to avenge the victims of the tragedy that occurred on March 22, 2024 in the Moscow region as their main motivation to sign a contract,” read a ministry statement, indirectly implicating Ukraine in the recent Crocus City Hall terrorist attack which left 144 concert-goers dead.
Kyiv has emphatically denied any involvement in the massacre, responsibility for which has been claimed by the so-called Islamic State. The suggestion from Russian President Vladimir Putin that the terrorists were planning to escape to Ukraine was contradicted by Moscow’s own ally, Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko.
According to the statement, Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu has said the Russian Army plans to form fourteen new divisions by the end of 2024.
While Russia’s reports on the boost to military enlistment could not be independently verified, Ukraine has also warned that Russian forces are building up ahead of an expected offensive push later this year.
Source: Dw
