Moscow authorities ‘pressuring construction companies’ over Ukraine war recruits

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Moscow’s municipal authorities are “highly likely” to be pressuring construction companies to deliver recruits to fight in Ukraine, according to reports from UK intelligence.

The UK’s Ministry of Defence said in an intelligence update that it suspected construction companies were being faced with the prospect of having their contracts with Russian authorities withdrawn if they did not deliver “volunteers” to serve in Ukraine.

It claimed that one construction company has been set a target of 30 volunteers by the end of August 2023.

And it added that the move was likely to “primarily affect” ethnic minorities from poorer regions of Russia such as Dagestan and central Asian states, who make up the majority of Moscow’s construction workers.

“This measure is highly likely at least tacitly endorsed by Moscow mayor Sergey Sobyanin. It continues his track record of trying to minimise the impact of the conflict on better-off Muscovites, while still being seen to support the war effort,” the update said.