Russia to Hire Contract Soldiers in Bid to Avoid Unpopular Draft
- Kremlin anxious not to stir fears that triggered 2022 exodus
- Ukraine has faced delays in Western aid and personnel shortage
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Russia is preparing to enlist more contract soldiers as it presses its invasion of Ukraine, aiming to avoid at least for now another mass call-up that could undermine popular support for the war.
The Kremlin is anxious not to repeat the September 2022 mobilization, which shook public confidence and triggered an exodus of as many as a million Russians from the country, three people informed about discussions on the matter said.