Russia's Widening Legionnaire Levies

Moscow has already made tremendous use of foreign recruits during its war in Ukraine, with volunteers and conscripts alike on the battlefield. Now Russian President Vladimir Putin is making that an even more prominent part of Moscow's war effort, having just signed a decree allowing foreigners to serve in the Russian army not only during a state of emergency or martial law, but also during the current period of mobilization. This comes as Moscow continues its offensive attempts in Ukraine, and amid a continued push to bring citizens into service. As I argued in War on the Rocks earlier this year, this kind of policy is at odds with the victorious and confident face Putin presents on the war effort. Russia faces

a

thorny issue that has only grown sharper during Russia’s campaign: where to get the people, willing or otherwise, to sustain the conflict. With Putin’s narrowing confidence and room to maneuver in mobilizing citizens, foreigners inside and outside of Russia may be among the Kremlin’s few remaining options. By enlisting legionnaires, Putin not only gains new troops for a grinding conflict in Ukraine, he also may amass soldiers he can use to help protect against a threat from elites in the future.

Overall, Russia's policies fit well into the framework outlined in my book project and International Security article, so give those a peak if you want to learn more!