RUSSIA'S DISPOSABLE FOREIGN LEGION...
The Kremlin is stepping up recruitment abroad to bolster its military ranks amid falling domestic enlistment numbers and rising casualty counts. Russia is reportedly offering high signing bonuses and fast-track citizenship to young men from low-income countries who agree to sign shadowy contracts. These recruits are said to receive limited training before being sent into high-risk, meat-grinder combat. Foreign fighters report that they face coercion, threats, and limited options to escape their contracts. Russia likely utilizes foreign troops much like they do prison recruits, throwing them into hazardous assaults while showing little interest in recovering them if they are wounded or captured. As a result, these foreign-origin fighters face an astronomical death rate and rate of capture. (Meduza, January 22, 2026)
...AND DISHONEST RECRUITMENT TACTICS
Russia's foreign recruitment efforts, moreover, are often carried out via dishonest means. That is the case in Bangladesh, where police have uncovered a trafficking ring operated by local intermediaries with connections to the Russian government. Authorities believe that the ring is responsible for filtering men into the Russian military via deception. Under the scheme, Bangladeshi workers are lured to Russia under false promises of civilian work only to find themselves on the frontlines in Ukraine.
According to the Associated Press, Russian recruiters give the workers documents to sign in Russian — documents which turn out to be military contracts. Three Bangladeshi citizens who escaped the Russian military stated that they were forced to advance ahead of Russian forces, transport supplies, evacuate wounded soldiers and recover the dead, all highly risky frontline tasks. The men were beaten by their commanders and threatened with prison sentences if they refused tasks. Many families in Bangladesh have lost contact with men who were recruited into the Russian military under similarly shady circumstances. (Associated Press, January 27, 2026)
PREPARING FOR THE END OF KADYROV
The health of Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov continues to deteriorate, and the Kremlin is starting to plan for a future without the regional strongman. One source close to the Russian government has said that the Kremlin is thinking of solutions to the power vacuum that would be left by Kadyrov. Kadyrov's son, Adam, is often discussed as a potential future regional leader, but he cannot legally take power until 2037, when he turns 30. Another option is someone from the Benoi teip (clan) who is loyal to Kadyrov – and therefore the Kremlin.
The situation is complex. Whoever takes over will need to balance Kadyrov's expectation that his family be protected after his death while also upholding the Kremlin's expectation of continued regional stability. The government of President Vladimir Putin could end up backing Adam Delimkhanov or Magomed Daudov, both of whom are long-standing Kadyrov allies, according to the outlet Vazhnye Istorii. (iStories, January 23, 2026)
THE STATE REACHES INTO RUSSIA'S SCHOOLS
Beginning in September 2026, Russian schools will introduce mandatory behavior evaluations for all students, grading students on obedience, ideological conformity, and adherence to "traditional values." Russian officials have defended the planned policy as useful for the "development of students' personalities." However, critics have pointed out that it echoes the Soviet-era system used to enforce conformity and punish dissent among Soviet youth. (Meduza, January 22, 2026)
REBUILDING TIES WITH THE NEW SYRIA
When opposition forces swept the regime of Syrian strongman Bashar al-Assad from power in late 2024, many expected Russia to emerge as one of the biggest losers of the country's new order. But the months since have seen the Kremlin work diligently to build ties to the new government of new Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa. To that end, al-Sharaa recently made a state visit to Moscow – his second in four months. Russian President Vladimir Putin has signaled that his government is ready to help Syria rebuild its economy in the wake of the country's protracted civil war. Talks between the two leaders were also expected to cover the fate of Russian military bases in Syria. Russia's military recently began withdrawing from a base in northeast Syria, but the country constitutes a key strategic foothold for Moscow and Putin is focused on ensuring continued control over naval and air bases on Syria's coast for Mediterranean power projection. (Associated Press, January 28, 2026)