Accessibility links

Breaking News

The New Chechen Face Of The Russian Army



In a recent analysis published by "Nezavisimaya gazeta," Vladimir Mukhin, a Moscow-based military expert, has called into question official claims that Russia's spring draft campaign, which ended last week, had been successful.

Mukhin warns of even greater troubles ahead this fall when Russia's armed forces are likely to experience severe staff shortages. To alleviate the problem, army enlistment and recruitment officers may find it necessary to draft young Chechens into the army (conscription in Chechnya has been on hold until now).

And yet, the expert reckons that Chechnya alone may provide nearly 70,000 conscripts, all of them healthier and fitter for military service than their counterparts from the rest of the Russian Federation. If the draft in Chechnya is reintroduced, every third draftee this fall may turn out to be Chechen.

The sudden influx of thousands of young men from a war-torn region may drastically change the very fabric of the Russian Army, a development that some Russian commanders may find unsettling.

-- Aslan Doukaev

About This Blog

Written by RFE/RL editors and correspondents, Transmission serves up news, comment, and the odd silly dictator story. While our primary concern is with foreign policy, Transmission is also a place for the ideas -- some serious, some irreverent -- that bubble up from our bureaus. The name recognizes RFE/RL's role as a surrogate broadcaster to places without free media. You can write us at transmission+rferl.org

Latest Posts

XS
SM
MD
LG