Half of the reserve soldiers recruited by the Kremlin between September and October are already on the Ukrainian front. According to Russian data, of the 300,000 troops recruited during forced recruitment, 150,000 are already in the area of operations, which on paper represents an important reinforcement just a few days before the start of winter. It is the icy season that is supposed to force the maintenance of the current war at a distance –artillery and missiles- between the two contenders, although nothing is written because both sides have experience in deployments at low temperatures.
The Kremlin has offered more data regarding the troops mobilized; According to information confirmed by Valdimir Putin himself during a meeting this week of the Russian Human Rights Council, of these reservists who are already immersed in the operations of the war in Ukraine, 77,000 are already framed in combat units and the rest, in territorial defense companies or finishing some phase of retraining.
No information has been released about those recruited who have not been transferred to the Ukrainian front, but everything suggests that they will be in the retraining phase to finish joining their old units that, for the moment, would be in reserve, as are many others. still from the Russian armed forces.
The retired colonel of the Army, Rafael Crespo, a great connoisseur of the reality of both countries, with published books such as Las claves ukranianas or El lado caliente de la guerra fría, recalls in conversation with La Vanguardia that Russia still has important contingents that do not They are involved in the war with their neighboring country. Crespo cites, for example, the special troops, the arctic units and even, where appropriate, the large forces of the Ministry of the Interior.
Regarding units specialized in sub-zero combat, it is known that a battalion of the 200th Russian Arctic Brigade is in the Ukrainian area of operations. Most likely, other contingents of these specialized troops are currently in Belarus, where Russia is jointly conducting cold maneuvers to refine procedures in such environmental circumstances.
The professor of International Law at the University of La Laguna, Luis V. Pérez Gil, an expert in conflict theory, explains that the Kremlin “has not created new units; It has dedicated itself to filling in the gaps left by the casualties in those that already existed and worked”. The commissioning of new combat units, with all their structures, infrastructures and personnel, would take many months and even years.
Everything suggests for the moment that the spare Russian troops arrived in Ukraine, although they are framed in combat units, are not yet in the vanguard but are reinforcing defensive positions. Those who are on the front line of fire are, according to Professor Pérez Gil, "the professional troops who, by the way, are very worn out."
This specialist in international relations explains to La Vanguardia that Russian soldiers recruited – for their military service – are currently beginning to be discharged in the replacement of last December. However, the Ministry of Defense is turning them into forced professionals, at least while the current conflict lasts. These soldiers with one year of experience and who will have to sign their rehire number about 123,000.
