Originally published October 3, 2023 9:05 am PDT
Defense Minister Sergey Shoigu stated on Tuesday that the Russian military is sufficiently staffed for its operation in Ukraine, mainly because of the vast influx of volunteers.
During a military conference, he said, “The General Staff has no plans for additional mobilization,” according to RT.
A testament to this support is evident in the recruitment numbers.
“In September alone, more than 50,000 citizens signed contracts” to serve in the military, as Shoigu highlighted.
Since the beginning of the year, over 335,000 individuals have voluntarily joined the Russian Armed Forces or other affiliated units.
This surge of volunteers has been attributed to the deep patriotic sentiment of the Russian populace.
The defense minister praised the commitment of the people, emphasizing “the firm patriotic stance of our citizens, who are actively joining the ranks of defenders of the fatherland.”
In addition to voluntary sign-ups, the regular autumn conscription, which began this past Sunday, is on track.
Shoigu mentioned the plan to conscript 130,000 individuals for mandatory military service, emphasizing that “none of those recruits will be deployed in the area of the military operation in Ukraine.”
Meanwhile, Biden’s Department of Defense is worried it’s running out of funds for weapons replenishments to Ukraine.
The Pentagon recently brought to Congress’s attention the depleting funds earmarked for replacing weapons previously dispatched to Ukraine.
In a letter shared with congressional leaders, it was highlighted that the financial reservoir for this purpose has been diminishing at an alarming rate.
According to Pentagon Comptroller Michael McCord, of the initial $25.9 billion set aside by Congress to restore U.S. military stocks, only $1.6 billion remains.
These military stocks encompass millions of rounds of artillery, rockets, and missiles.
Moreover, the letter disclosed that from the stockpile budget, approximately $5.4 billion remains.
U.K. and NATO military powers are also running out of ammunition to give Ukraine.
Adm Rob Bauer, NATO’s most senior military official, told the Warsaw Security Forum that “the bottom of the barrel is now visible,” BBC is reporting.
U.K. Defence Minister James Heappey told the forum that Western military stockpiles were “looking a bit thin.”
