Page 54 - RusRPTJul24

Russian authorities force men called up for mobilization to fight in Ukraine, even when they try to flee the military or are willing to submit to prison to avoid combat (or sometimes further combat). Gerasimenko tells the stories of three veterans, identified as Vladimir, Gennady, and Sergey, and details what they’ve witnessed while trying to avoid being sent back to Ukraine. Gerasimenko learned that hundreds of mobilized soldiers in regions across Russia who refuse to go to Ukraine are being held by military police in what amounts to modern-day dungeons where they’re beaten and kept in miserable conditions.
Russia has sent around 10,000 immigrants who recently received citizenship to join military fighting in Ukraine, official says. In October 2023, Investigative Committee head Alexander Bastrykin suggested that individuals who recently received Russian passports but declined to serve in the military could have their citizenship revoked.
● Weapons
Russian Glide bombs: The phrase "Russian forces attack with guided aerial bombs (GAB)" has, unfortunately, become a common term in news reports by Ukraine's General Staff and military-civilian administrations. Settlements in Kharkiv, Donetsk, Sumy, Kherson, Chernihiv and Zaporizhzhia oblasts suffer from dozens of airstrikes every day, and the number of UAVs that attack Ukrainian cities and villages is estimated at hundreds daily. The Department of Public Relations of the Armed Forces of Ukraine told Ukrainska Pravda that Russia used more than 10,000 UAVs against Ukraine between 1 January and 31 May 2024. This data shows that the use of aerial bombs has increased almost 20 times compared to the whole year 2023.
Ukraine reports increase in Russian chemical weapon attacks on battlefield. Ukraine recorded 715 cases of Russian chemical weapons use on the battlefield in May, 271 more than in the previous month, the Ukrainian military's Support Forces said on June 24.
The rate of production of artillery ammunition in Russia is three times higher than that of Western countries, according to consulting company Bain & Company. It is noted that in 2024, according to forecasts, the Russian Federation will produce about 4.5mn artillery shells, while the United States and European countries in total will produce approximately 1.3mn. At the same time, the cost of Russian production is four times lower. But some say that Bain & Company significantly underestimates the volume of production of shells in Western countries. According to European Commissioner Thierry Breton, in 2024 the EU countries alone will produce 1.3mn shells, and next year they plan to reach the level of 2mn. The United States, in turn, expects to increase the production of 155 mm shells to 100,000
54 RUSSIA Country Report July 2024 www.intellinews.com