The current U.S. President has indicated that through strategic efforts, Ukraine might reclaim its territories being engulfed in the ongoing conflict. Meanwhile, Russian President, Vladimir Putin, doesn’t appear to be inclined towards peace negotiations or de-escalation of the military onslaught. As each day turns into night, Russia constantly deploys a multitude of drones and missiles against Ukraine, inflicting damage to civilian areas, including residential structures and public establishments.
The ongoing engagement sustains itself on Russia’s abundant labor force. Russia flaunts one of the largest military assemblies worldwide, with around 1.32 million active servicemen. However, keeping up with the considerable soldier attrition due to death or severe injuries in Ukraine continues to present a daunting task for Russian military recruiters.
Contrarily, the workforce demand of Russia’s military seems meager when compared to the requirements of the defense industry. Russian defense factories, churning out arms and war equipment, employ almost four million workers. Alarmingly, this sector grapples with a pronounced labor deficit.
A declaration from the Russian parliament in 2024 cast light on the dire state of their defense industry. It highlighted a shortfall of nearly 400,000 workers than its present workforce. In the year 2022, it was reported that around a million Russian citizens chose to leave their native country either as a protest against the war or to evade conscription into the military, or for both reasons.
Even though it’s believed that almost 45% of those who had left returned in the subsequent three years, Russia seems to have lost approximately 650,000 individuals from its labor force. This absence could possibly be temporary, linked to the war duration, or it might turn into a permanent loss.
In the meantime, the Russian defense industry lands in a tough spot as it competes against the military for labor supply. The government has significantly boosted the compensation package it provides to fresh military inductees. Typically, an enlisted soldier earns around 200,000 roubles per month, positioning them among the top 10% earners nationally.
To remain competitive, the defense industry had to hike wages during the war period. There is a recorded 65% surge in average salaries from 2022 to 2024, capping at roughly 89,700 roubles monthly. As an added incentive, a newly recruited soldier might receive a hefty one-time signing bonus, scaling up to a sum of 4 million roubles, apart from their monthly income.
The demographics of the country also play a contributory role in this scenario. Russia witnessed a distinct nosedive in its birth rate during the 1990s, leading to a decreased pool of individuals in their 20s and 30s seeking job opportunities.
In light of the heightened demand since the large scale invasion of Ukraine by Russia in February 2022, the defense industry has implemented certain measures to boost weapon and equipment production, as well as to cater to the maintenance requirements of damaged military machinery. Some strategies include compulsory 12-hour work shifts and a six-day work week, with only a single day off for rest.
In its quest to supplement labor and military shortages, Russia has turned to its ally – North Korea. Numerous Koreans have been dispatched to Russia, to assist in factory and construction jobs. However, rampant complaints surrounding precarious working conditions, such as relentless 18-hour workdays, have surfaced, painting a grim picture of what some label ‘slave labour’.
Interestingly, the Russian military also sees an influx of North Koreans. However, the hesitancy to employ Russian women extends to foreign nations as well, with the exception of jobs in the defence sector. About 200 women, primarily from central and western Africa, have found employment in defence factories situated to the east of Moscow.
The Russian defense factories, employing these women, primarily engage in the assembly of drones with components imported from Iran. These drones have found extensive usage in Russia’s assaults on civilian areas in Ukraine. The considerable salaries on offer attract these African female migrants, although their wages, around 40,000 roubles monthly, fall short of what Russian defense employees earn.
There have been concerning reports of these female workers facing extended work hours and exposure to harmful chemicals. Worse, there are alleged instances of the factory management withholding their passports to prevent them from escaping these harsh circumstances.
These recruitment and retention struggles in Russia’s defence industry highlight a crucial flaw in Russia’s military planning, especially considering the treatment of foreign migrant workers. While these issues might not directly impact Russia’s military activities, they certainly underscore the stressors the ongoing war has placed on their national economy.
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