Russia Uses Arrests, Coercion to Boost Ukraine Front Recruits

Russia is using arrests and coercion to send more recruits to the front line in Ukraine, as the Kremlin seeks to cover mounting casualties without resorting to an unpopular open and mass mobilization. Russian authorities, who previously paid citizens to enlist, now also pay them to recruit others — a perverse incentive that has driven a rise in recent months of people being forcibly taken to sign army contracts. The well-paid recruiter job targets vulnerable individuals: those who are alone, have criminal records, are ill, or are in debt. These people are taken by force to recruitment centers.