Why does Russia not use its hundreds of thousands of regular troops but instead rely heavily on mercenaries? Actually, Russia is not ignoring its hundreds of thousands of regular troops. Rather, the war in Ukraine has dragged on for so long that it has become a costly and exhausting pit. Using mercenaries is a more practical choice. More importantly, Russia needs to keep its regular troops as a reserve.
Speaking of which, the Ukraine-Russia conflict has been going on for over three years since February 2022. The battlefield is no longer the kind of rapid advance seen at the beginning, but rather a protracted war of attrition with daily artillery fire and trench battles. Russia has over a million active soldiers, and according to Western intelligence estimates, there are about 600,000 regular troops deployed around and within Ukraine. So why aren't they all thrown into the fight? Why rely on Wagner, a mercenary group instead? In fact, it's not that they don't want to use regular troops, but this war has dragged on too long, with money and human lives pouring in like water. Using mercenaries is more convenient and less likely to cause domestic troubles. The key point is that regular troops need to be reserved for greater risks, such as any potential moves from NATO.
Let's first explain why this war became a trap. In the initial months of the war, Russia expected a quick victory, but the Ukrainians held on stubbornly, while Western aid kept coming in. Tanks, missiles, drones were all on the front lines. The Russian regular forces suffered significant casualties. According to data from the UK Ministry of Defence, over 10,000 were killed in the first half of 2022, and equipment was also severely damaged. By 2023, even a small city like Bakhmut had been a battle of attrition for over six months, with both sides constantly sacrificing lives. The Russian Ministry of Defence itself admitted that maintaining such high-intensity consumption costs over a hundred billion dollars per month. The military budget jumped from over 60 billion rubles in 2021 to over 1 trillion rubles by 2025. However, economic pressure also increased, with high inflation, a devalued ruble, and oil exports being choked by sanctions. Relying solely on regular troops would eventually drain the country's resources.
At this point, mercenaries came into play. Wagner Group had been active since the Crimea incident in 2014, originally serving as Russia's shadow force, used for covert operations. Prigozhin, the man behind it, was once a catering supplier to Putin, later turning to private armed forces, recruiting tens of thousands of retired soldiers and criminals to fight in eastern Ukraine. Why use them? It's simple—low cost. Training a regular soldier takes several years, with the state covering all expenses: training, salary, and benefits, costing over a million rubles per person per year. Mercenaries, on the other hand, just sign a contract, earn between $2,000 to $3,000 per month, work for six months, and if they die, the company pays a sum and that's it, without worrying about family support. According to data from the Russian Ministry of Defence, Wagner recruited over 50,000 prisoners in 2023 to serve as cannon fodder, much cheaper than mobilizing civilians. After 2024, Wagner collapsed, but Russia learned from this and continued using "volunteers" and foreign mercenaries. Those from the Middle East and Africa earn a bit more, but still cost less than regular troops. Imagine, in 2025, although Russia's military spending slightly decreased from 163 billion to 156 billion USD, it still relied on these "contract workers" to hold the frontline, saving money to build tanks and make missiles.
Political calculations are the real killer锏 of mercenaries. Public support for the war in Russia is high, but when casualties increase, things get serious. Putin has ruled for over two decades, relying on stability. Urban middle-class people don't want their children to die. When the mobilization order was issued in 2022, dozens of thousands fled, and protests followed. If regular troops died constantly in Ukraine, media coverage would lead to street unrest. Mercenaries are different; they are not part of the national army, their casualties are not included in official statistics, and their families have no right to protest. Wagner's soldiers are mostly poor people from remote areas or those out of prison; their deaths receive little social attention. Western intelligence claims that Russia uses mercenaries for "deniability," allowing them to blame others abroad and minimize domestic backlash. In 2023, Prigozhin staged a mutiny, openly criticizing the Defence Minister Shoigu for inadequate supply, almost exposing the veil. But even then, the Kremlin quickly integrated Wagner into the regular system to avoid bigger chaos. By 2025, Russia's "shadow forces" have grown, including Chechen militias and Central Asian mercenaries, totaling over 40,000, handling dirty tasks and outsourcing political risks.
Certainly, there are more strategic considerations. Russia is not alone, and NATO is right at its doorstep. Baltic countries and Poland constantly clamor for more troops. If Russia throws all its 600,000 regular troops into Ukraine, and there is an external intervention, the border would be left vulnerable. Think of the 2008 Georgian War, where Russia used regular troops to end it quickly. Now, Ukraine is a mess, and the main forces must be kept to guard the rear. Mercenaries are flexible and quick to deploy. Wagner's veterans, who came from Syria and Libya, have experience in urban warfare, suitable for the city fighting in eastern Ukraine. After the retreat from Kharkiv in 2022, Russia moved Wagner to the eastern front, focusing on Donbas, helping regular troops save effort. Intelligence shows that irregular forces accounted for over 20% of the frontline forces in 2024, with regular troops mainly responsible for major offensives and air defense. NATO has also noticed this. A US State Department report said that Russia's approach is a "hybrid warfare," with mercenaries probing the way and regular troops finishing the job, making the whole operation more mobile and dispersing Western intelligence attention.
Tactically, mercenaries have filled many gaps. Ukraine's terrain is complex, with rivers, forests, and urban ruins, making large-scale regular troop movements slow and prone to ambushes. Mercenary squads are flexible. Wagner used a "human wave tactic" in Bachmut, with batches of soldiers charging to draw fire, revealing Ukrainian positions, then following up with regular artillery. The Ukrainian military itself admitted that Wagner was harsher than the Russian military, with looser discipline but higher killing power. In the 2023 battle of Soledar, Wagner captured a key point, cutting off Ukrainian supplies, and the Russian Ministry of Defence rarely praised them. However, problems are obvious. Mercenaries have low loyalty. Prigozhin's mutiny exposed this, almost leading to a direct attack on Moscow. After the deaths, the group disbanded, some joining the "African Corps" to mine in Central Africa, others signing contracts to join the Russian military, but the quality varies. In 2025, Russia continues to recruit foreign soldiers, bringing in thousands from Syria, doubling their salary, but the risk of desertion is high. Ukrainian intelligence says they have caught many. Overall, given the current situation, Russia's use of mercenaries is an unavoidable temporary solution.
Original: www.toutiao.com/article/1848236167644160/
Disclaimer: This article represents the views of the author.