Desperate Russian President Putin is offering new recruits one million rubles to join the army as his disastrous Ukraine war has killed more than 300,000 Russian soldiers.
UK intelligence sources believe more than a quarter of a million Russians have perished on the battlefield since the Kremlin ordered the attack on neighbouring Ukraine in February 2022.
Now an enormous 600-mile frontline separates the two forces after the Ukrainians mounted a courageous defence which pushed back Russian forces to the east of the country.
In a bid to bolster Russian lines new recruits are being offered one million rubles, around £8,000, to sign up for Putin’s meat grinder of a war machine that has ground to a halt.
British intelligence sources also estimated that tens of thousands of Russian soldiers have deserted and in some cases fled the country.
Armed forces minister James Heappey said this week: “We also estimate that over 7,117 Russian armoured vehicles, including nearly 2,475 main battle tanks, 93 fixed wing aircraft, 132 helicopters, 320 unmanned aerial vehicles, 16 naval vessels of all classes, and over 1,300 artillery systems of all types have been destroyed since the start of the conflict.”
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