The Russian Federation decided to recruit more people into private military formations for the war in Ukraine, the Main Directorate of Intelligence reports.

Russia intends to increase the number of mercenaries because covert mobilization has not yielded expected results. The covert mobilization in the central and southeastern regions of the Russian Federation failed. Russian citizens often refuse to participate in the war.

‘Taking this into account, the ministry of defense of the aggressor country decided to increase the number of private military companies mercenaries participating in hostilities in the territory of Ukraine’, the report states.

Currently, there are about 4,500-5,000 mercenaries, who mostly belong to Wagner group, in the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine. They are used as assault units. In certain directions, mercenaries are in the first line of the offensive troops.