Russian social media flooded with army recruitment advertisement: report

Moscow: At least 53,000 army recruitment advertisements appeared in March this year on the Russian social media outlet VKontakte, according to a report by Novaya Gazeta Europe.

A total of 75,000 advertisements appeared on VKontakte since the war erupted between Russia and Ukraine in February last year of which 75 per cent were posted in the last two months.

According to media reports, these advertisements are being posted by hospitals, job centres, libraries, and even kindergartens. This is how the Russian authorities have unfolded the biggest recruiting promo campaign since the start of the war.

The report also says that almost 90 per cent of the advertisements were found to be connected to the notorious Wagner private military company, headed by businessman Yevgeny Prigozhin.

Russian President Putin last week signed a bill allowing authorities to issue electronic notices to draftees and reservists amid the fighting in Ukraine, sparking fears of a new wave of mobilization. The bill makes it considerably easier for Russia to draft people for the war.

The Russian authorities are aiming to enlist up to 400,000 soldiers this year, Bloomberg reported in March, citing sources familiar with the matter.

Russia is believed to have suffered tens of thousands of casualties in an ongoing war against Ukraine.

Russian authorities keep denying that another mobilization is being planned. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said last week that the measure was needed to streamline the outdated call-up system in view of the flaws that were revealed by last fall’s partial mobilization.

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