Putin No Pied Piper, St. Patrick Recruiting Rats, Snakes Into Forces

Key Points:

• Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky reported that Russia is intensifying military recruitment and incorporating foreign mercenaries, including over 8,000 North Korean soldiers, to address severe personnel shortages in its armed forces.
• Zelensky highlighted that Russia is using illicit means to finance these efforts, including setting up drone production lines in North Korea in exchange for technical assistance, and urged countries supplying mercenaries to cooperate with Ukraine and international law enforcement.
• Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered a limited increase of 15,500 personnel to the Russian armed forces, marking the fourth such increase in 2026, but no official mass mobilization or conscription has been announced despite heavy battlefield losses.
• Independent analysts estimate Russian combat deaths in Ukraine have surpassed 405,000, with total casualties potentially exceeding 1.6 million by mid-November 2026, forcing Russia to consider involuntary reserve call-ups to sustain its military operations.
• Reports indicate that Russia has begun a shadow mobilization of reservists, particularly targeting older individuals with moderate fitness levels for defensive roles against drones, though officially these reservists are not classified as being sent to frontline combat.