No one is ready to die for money anymore: military explains the failure to recruit in the Russian army.

Former commander of the Aidar battalion, Yevhen Dykyi, analyzed the current state of Russian troops in Ukraine.

According to him, the Russian army is facing a serious problem with replenishing its ranks.

According to reports from Russian military correspondents, Dykyi emphasized a phenomenon dubbed 'Wagnerization' of the Russian armed forces. This means the transformation of the regular army into an armed formation dominated by mercenaries motivated solely by financial rewards. Professionals and ideological supporters of the war have almost entirely disappeared from the ranks of the Russian army.

'It is interesting to read Russian 'military correspondents'... I even picked up such an interesting term from them - 'Wagnerization of the Russian army'. They directly tell each other that the army has essentially turned into a gang of mercenaries, with no patriots or specialists left. The majority consists precisely of such biomass, which has been recruited for money, and this is how they are regarded. They are here to survive and earn. This affects discipline and overall relationships in such an 'army'. In other words, this is a gang of mercenary marauders,' Dykyi stated.

After the forced mobilization of autumn 2022, Russia tried to recruit new fighters through financial incentives. However, even a significant increase in salaries did not allow for replenishing its ranks at the former level. According to Dykyi, the Russian leadership mistakenly believed that it could solve the problem simply by increasing pay.

'They didn't understand one thing. They seriously thought that if people stop coming for an average salary, they just need to pay more money. But this doesn't work. The psychological barrier is quite different. Some are ready to die for money, while others are not. And this is not about the amount of money. It is a question of attitude towards life in general. They essentially chose a biomass that is simply ready to go and die for money. And its number is already starting to run out, practically has run out,' Dykyi reported.

According to Dykyi, this explains the recruitment of soldiers from North Korea for military actions against Ukraine. Meanwhile, considering the sentiments of the population, the Russian leadership is trying to avoid a new wave of forced mobilization.