Russia's manpower crisis: elite aerospace troops and naval crews mobilized to Ukrainian frontline
The Ukrainian operation in the Kursk region has indeed had an impact, contrary to Russian Ministry of Defense claims. Troops, including pilots and sailors, are now being mobilized into infantry, reports RBC-Ukraine.
Russian forces persevere, advancing slowly yet persistently toward administrative boundaries in Luhansk and Donetsk. However, personnel shortages have led to the transfer of soldiers from Donbas to the Kursk area.
Persistent rumors suggest that Vladimir Putin might announce a mobilization soon. This would align with Russia's ongoing recruitment efforts, promising hefty contracts equivalent to $30,000 in rubles. Meanwhile, additional resources are being gathered for defense and potential counterattacks in the Kursk region.
Elite Aerospace Forces, initially stationed in Altai Krai, Irkutsk, and Saratov, have been redeployed to infantry roles. This shift comes from airbases hosting TU-22M and TU-95 aircraft. Additional troops from the Leningrad Military District and parts of the Moscow Military District have been transferred, though their organization remains unstable due to recent reformatting.
Military analyst Pavlo Narozhny notes, "They have concentrated resources on one front. Having deployed Space Forces, now even the crew of their sole aircraft carrier has been put into infantry roles. This indicates a severe manpower shortage."
Earlier this week, reports surfaced that the Kremlin had mobilized sailors from its only aircraft carrier, Admiral Kuznetsov, which has been non-operational for eight years. This drastic measure underscores the acute personnel shortage plaguing Russia's military, now in its 31st month of full-scale war against Ukraine.
About 1,500 crew members from the "Admiral Kuznetsov" were reconstituted into a mechanized battalion named "Fregat," affiliated with the 1st Guards Tank Army. This unit initially fought in the Kharkiv region before moving to the Pokrovsk front in eastern Ukraine. There are reports that former aircraft carrier sailor Oleg Sosedov went missing during the Russian offensive in Kharkiv on July 23.