ALEXANDER NEMENOV/AFP via Getty Images
- A Russian military recruitment ad is telling viewers to be "a real man" and sign up for the war.
- It features three burly civilian men donning Russian military gear.
- UK intelligence says up to an estimated 60,000 Russian troops have died in Ukraine so far.
Russia's military recruitment ad is telling its male citizens to be "a real man" and serve as contract soldiers for the war in Ukraine — where up to an estimated 60,000 of Moscow's troops have died.
The video tells the viewer they're a "muzhik," which roughly translates to "real man." "Muzhik" can mean "peasant" or "serf," but in modern Russia, it's often used to convey the idea of a tough guy.
"You're a muzhik. Be one," the video says.
It features three muscled men — a mall cop, taxi driver, and a guy in a gym.
"Did you really dream of being this kind of defender? Is this really where your strength lies? Did you really want to choose this path?" the ad asks the viewer, according to a translation by the BBC's Francis Scarr.
The three men are then seen dressed in military gear as smoke billows around them. They wear patches that say "Z," a Russian symbol for victory with nationalist roots.
—Francis Scarr (@francis_scarr) April 19, 2023
"Serve by contract! Monthly payment from 204,000 rubles," text on the video reads, along with the Russian army's logo. The payment of 204,000 rubles is currently worth around $2,500.
Russia's armed forces rely heavily on contract soldiers, many of whom are reservists who sign on for three years, per The Institute of War. Around two million former conscripts and contract soldiers are in the Russian military, it said.
Moscow said in March that it intends to recruit another 400,000 professional soldiers starting this month, local media reported.
The Kremlin has also attempted to shore up its troop numbers in Ukraine by enlisting mercenary force the Wagner Group — which has been hiring convicts in exchange for their freedom — and through a mobilization of some 300,000 reservists.
But after heavy backlash from the Russian population, the Kremlin's top brass has promised that it would not need a second mobilization.
Meanwhile, an estimated 43,000 Russians have been killed so far in Russian leader Vladimir Putin's war, recently leaked Pentagon documents appear to show.
UK intelligence in February said the death toll among Russian soldiers and private military contractors may have reached up to 60,000, out of a total 200,000 Russian casualties.
On April 14, BBC News Russian reported that at least 20,451 Russian soldiers are confirmed dead.
Russia's Ministry of Defense did not immediately respond to Insider's request for comment sent outside regular business hours.
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