(Kyiv) – A grim milestone has been reached as Russian casualties in its brutal invasion of Ukraine have reportedly surpassed one million. The figure, while celebrated by many Ukrainians as a symbol of their resilience, points to a deeper systemic collapse inside the Russian military machine, one that is now propped up almost entirely by money, not ideology or patriotism.
The roots of this decay trace back to the year 2000, shortly after the Kursk submarine tragedy, when 118 Russian sailors died in the Barents Sea after being left to suffocate in silence. Then a newly elected president, Russian dictator Vladimir Putin, refused international help and dismissed public grief with chilling indifference. When questioned by Larry King on what happened to the submarine, he smirked and said: “It sank.”
That moment exposed not just Putin’s cold character but also the blueprint of how he would govern – control the message, crush dissent, and buy loyalty. As his ratings crumbled under criticism from grieving families, Putin realised he could maintain control by paying off some and intimidating the rest. This playbook of coercion and bribery has since defined his regime.
Fast-forward to the current full invasion of Ukraine, and the Kremlin’s war effort is now fully reliant on paid fighters. Mobilised soldiers and mercenaries are no longer ideologically driven or patriotically motivated. They fight for massive cash incentives, not because they believe in the mission. Putin’s attempt to instil nationalistic fervour through mass mobilisation backfired in 2022. Instead of surging to the front lines, millions of Russians fled, draining the country’s workforce and intellect.
Despite these catastrophic results, Russia’s military structure has morphed into a contract-based army. Those who once were forcibly mobilised are now “contract soldiers” through coercive paperwork and promised payouts. In parallel, an entire cottage industry has emerged around this system, where families hope for compensation for injuries and deaths, and authorities exploit grief for gain.
But this greed-fuelled machine is straining under financial pressures. The Russian economy is struggling to maintain the payments that prop up its war. The budget deficit is three times higher than expected, and sanctions from the European Union continue to squeeze oil revenues – a vital income source. The EU is now proposing to cap Russian oil export prices at $45 (£35.40) per barrel, far below the $70 (£55.10) Moscow needs to sustain operations.