Russia Sends Injured and Disabled Soldiers Back to Fight Amid Troop Shortages

Introduction

Russia is facing severe troop shortages in Ukraine and has resorted to sending injured and disabled soldiers back to the front lines to fight. This move comes after the Kremlin changed its rules, allowing troops with serious injuries to be redeployed.

New Rules Allow Redeployment of Injured Soldiers

The Russian Ministry of Defense recently modified its rules, enabling soldiers with severe injuries to be sent back to fight against Ukraine. Under the new ruling, medical examiners take into account the soldiers' front line experience and do not rule them out based on injuries that do not significantly impact their ability to perform military duties.

Insufficient Medical Examination and Care

As a result of these changes, units consisting of hundreds of disabled soldiers have been formed without proper medical examination or adequate care, according to families of the soldiers. A case cited by the independent media outlet iStories involved a soldier named "Mikhail," who suffered a shrapnel wound in Ukraine that injured his leg. Despite being assigned to a convalescent unit, he received inadequate care and was subsequently cleared by a medic to fight in Ukraine again. Mikhail, who now walks with a cane, has joined a unit of other disabled and injured soldiers that will be used as an "assault battalion" in Ukraine.

Concerns and Challenges

The redeployment of injured and disabled soldiers has raised concerns about their ability to effectively engage in combat. The wife of one of the soldiers expressed her dismay, highlighting the challenges they face: "They in the regiment are already laughing through tears – what kind of assault with sticks and on crutches?" Furthermore, soldiers with severe injuries have been categorized as fit for active duty by military medics, raising questions about the thoroughness of the evaluation process.

Russian Casualties and Rising Disabilities

Russia has experienced a significant number of casualties in its invasion of Ukraine. US officials reported to The New York Times in August that approximately 300,000 Russian troops had been killed or injured. Additionally, the number of men under 30 with disabilities in Russia rose by 17,000 in 2022, according to Russian independent news outlet Verstka. Experts predict that disability rates will reach record levels in 2023.

Military Recruitment and Deployment Changes

To bolster its military presence in Ukraine, Russia implemented a draft that involved approximately 300,000 civilians in the previous year. Furthermore, thousands of prisoners have been recruited and often used as "cannon fodder" in direct assaults on Ukrainian positions. However, due to the high casualty rate, Russian President Vladimir Putin is reportedly hesitant to announce another military draft. This has led to changes in deployment rules for the military.

In conclusion, Russia's decision to send injured and disabled soldiers back to fight on the front lines amidst troop shortages in Ukraine raises concerns about their well-being and effectiveness in combat. The redeployment of soldiers with severe injuries, inadequate medical examination, and rising disability rates highlight the challenges faced by the Russian military.—————————————————————————————————————————————
By: tporter@businessinsider.com (Tom Porter)
Title: Russia Sends Injured and Disabled Soldiers Back to Fight Amid Troop Shortages
Sourced From: www.businessinsider.com/russia-sending-injured-disabled-soldiers-back-front-lines-fight-ukraine-2023-12
Published Date: Tue, 12 Dec 2023 13:23:43 +0000