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Russian army starts new recruitment campaign with the slogan "Be a real man"

2023-04-26 21:44:40, Kosova & Bota CNA

Russian army starts new recruitment campaign with the slogan "Be a real

A new and sophisticated video that has attracted many clicks on Russian social media platforms shows a taxi driver, a security guard and a gym trainer.

"Did you really dream of being such a protector?" says the text accompanying the images published by the Russian Ministry of Defense.

The dramatic music video then features armed men in combat gear walking across a battlefield in thick fog.

"You're a real man! Be a real man!", the ad says, encouraging Russians to sign a job contract with the defense ministry.

Moscow has launched an aggressive military recruitment campaign with videos and advertisements as Kiev prepares for a counteroffensive in eastern Ukraine.

"Our job is to protect the motherland", is written on one of the signs placed in the capital, where three soldiers appear under a big blue sky.

"An honorable job and a good salary," says another slogan. Last September, President Vladimir Putin announced a "partial" military mobilization, Russia's first since World War II, that shocked the country and prompted tens of thousands of people to flee.

To avoid announcing a second round of mandatory mobilization, Moscow has decided to launch a massive advertising campaign, hoping to entice Russians with financial incentives.

"male" culture

Authorities have not disclosed their target, but according to various estimates, Moscow may try to recruit 400,000 volunteers.

Russian army starts new recruitment campaign with the slogan "Be a real

"The authorities almost certainly want to drag out a new, compulsory mobilization for as long as possible to minimize internal discontent," British intelligence agencies said this week.

Those who sign a contract with the Russian defense ministry are promised a monthly salary of at least $2,450.

An announcement on the Moscow mayor's website specifies that servicemen will be paid "at least 204,000 rubles ($2,450)" in the "special military operation zone," the Kremlin's official designation for the offensive in Ukraine.

Those who participate in military offensives are promised a daily bonus of eight thousand rubles (or about $100) and at least 50,000 rubles (or about $615) for capturing or destroying enemy weapons and military equipment.

Some praised the recruitment drive.

"In Russia, this is a good amount to support the family, even the parents," Pyotr Lipka, a 21-year-old student from the southern city of Volgograd, told AFP news agency.

"It makes sense: if a person defends his country, why shouldn't he be paid?" said student Lipka, adding that signing the contract was better than mobilizing.

The campaign in support of the military draws on Russia's masculinist culture, promoting the image of a "real man" as strong and patriotic.

Russian army starts new recruitment campaign with the slogan "Be a real

Last year, the authorities admitted that mistakes were made when the call was made to mobilize their troops for the war in Ukraine. During the mobilization there were cases when invitations were sent to students, the elderly or the sick who were mistakenly ordered to report for duty.

"Avoiding another shock"

Yevgeny Krapivin, 41, served as a professional soldier when Russia fought Chechen separatists in 1999-2002 and would like to re-enlist to fight in Ukraine.

He said recruiting officers initially turned him away, citing his age as the reason. "Then they told me: 'Wait. You can get a phone call at any moment,'' he told AFP in central Moscow.

The start of the new recruitment campaign has coincided with preparations for the May 9 celebrations marking the Soviet victory over Nazi Germany, which have achieved cult status under President Putin.

This month Mr Putin approved a bill to create a digital system that could stop the men from leaving the country.

Kremlin critics say the bill would make it too easy for men to mobilize and crack down on those who avoid it as the assault on Ukraine continues into its second year.

Russian army starts new recruitment campaign with the slogan "Be a real

Political observers say the Kremlin is suppressing social discontent in Russia as economic problems mount.

"The authorities clearly want to avoid a new shock, a new stress for society," Denis Volkov, head of the independent pollster Levada Centre, told AFP, referring to a military mobilization.

"And they have chosen another scenario: to recruit volunteers", he said.

The campaign could be successful, especially in Russia's small, poverty-stricken cities, he added.

The new approach seemed to be working, Volkov said.