Vladimir Putin is reportedly forcing injured Russian soldiers to fight in Ukraine without receiving treatment.
Experts have said that this demonstrates a “disregard” for troops participating in the nearly three-year-old invasion.
It comes amid claims that “hundreds” of wounded Russian fighters have been transferred to North Korea for “rehabilitation and medical care”.
These may not be entirely reliable, it has been suggested.
The Institute for the Study of War (ISW) noted in its daily report on the conflict for Monday: “The Russian military command has reportedly been sending wounded personnel back into assault groups without treatment, demonstrating a general disregard for soldiers’ health in the Russian military and calling into question official Russian claims to be sending Russian soldiers abroad for treatment, particularly to North Korea.”
The rundown also stated that Russian Ambassador Alexander Matsegora has claimed that North Korea refused his country’s offer of financial compensation for the medical care, food, and other expenses “related to the Russians’ stay in North Korea.”
The ISW added: “The arrival of combat experienced Russian soldiers, particularly if they include officers or non-commissioned officers, to North Korea may allow the Russian military to work with North Korean forces and disseminate lessons from the war in Ukraine while ostensibly recuperating.”
It comes after officials estimated that more than 700,000 Russian troops have died or suffered injuries since the war began.
Russian citizens are reportedly “less willing to volunteer to fight”.
It is believed that the country’s military may be struggling to recruit enough new military personnel, as reports observed in late 2024 and January 2025 suggest that Putin’s military’s monthly recruitment rate is “likely equal to or below the quantity needed to replace Russia’s monthly casualty rate one-to-one.”
It has also been reported that “select Russian federal subjects are failing to meet their monthly recruitment quotas”.
There is discussion about whether a new partial involuntary reserve call-up could be enforced to boost troop numbers.
