THE RUSSIAN WAR MACHINE NEEDS MORE SOLDIERS. FACING STAGGERING LOSSES ON THE BATTLEFIELD AND A FLEEING DOMESTIC POPULATION, INTELLIGENCE REPORTS FROM UKRAINE SAY VLADIMIR PUTIN IS LOOKING TO IMPLEMENT ANOTHER TROOP MOBILIZATION.

LAST FALL, RUSSIA BEGAN MOBILIZING 300,000 TROOPS FROM THE CIVILIAN POPULATION. MANY OF THOSE SOLDIERS REPORTEDLY RECEIVED JUST A FEW WEEKS OF TRAINING BEFORE BEING SENT TO THE FRONTLINES. IN A YEAR OF FIGHTING, UKRAINE ESTIMATES IT’S KILLED OR CAPTURED AROUND 140 THOUSAND RUSSIAN SOLDIERS AND WOUNDED ANOTHER 430 THOUSAND.

NEEDING TO BOLSTER HIS RANKS YET AGAIN, PUTIN IS REPORTEDLY PREPARING A MASSIVE MOBILIZATION ON AT LEAST THREE UNIVERSITY CAMPUSES IN RUSSIA. UKRAINIAN INTELLIGENCE SAID IT HAS DOCUMENTS WHICH SHOW RUSSIA IS SETTING UP NOTIFICATION STATIONS ON THOSE CAMPUSES, WHICH WILL HELP FACILITATE IN THE DRAFTING PROCESS BY SERVING SUMMONSES TO FULL-TIME STUDENTS. THE DOCUMENTS DIRECT THE UNIVERSITIES TO DESIGNATE PEOPLE NOT ELIGIBLE TO BE DRAFTED TO RUN THE NOTIFICATION STATIONS.

UKRAINE’S MAIN INTELLIGENCE DIRECTORATE SAYS RUSSIA IS LAYING THE GROUNDWORK NOW TO REMOVE ANY POTENTIAL LEGAL OBSTACLES THAT MAY PREVENT THE MOBILIZATION.

WHEN PUTIN ANNOUNCED THE PREVIOUS DRAFT IN SEPTEMBER, IT SPARKED A MASS EXODUS FROM RUSSIA. HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS OF RUSSIAN CITIZENS FLED THEIR HOMELAND, SOME TRADING IN THE PROSPECT OF BOMBS AND BULLETS FOR SUNSHINE AND SAND.

THAILAND WAS LONG A POPULAR VACATION DESTINATION FOR RUSSIANS. NOW IT’S A HOME AWAY FROM HOME FOR TENS OF THOUSANDS OF THEM. FROM NOVEMBER OF LAST YEAR THRU THE END OF JANUARY, MORE THAN 230 THOUSAND RUSSIANS HAVE FLOWN INTO PHUKET INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT ALONE.

THE INFLUX OF RUSSIANS IS CAUSING HOUSING PRICES TO SKYROCKET. AL JAZEERA REPORTS IN 2022, RUSSIANS BOUGHT NEARLY 40 PERCENT OF ALL CONDOS SOLD IN PHUKET TO FOREIGNERS. ACCORDING TO REAL ESTATE AGENTS IN THE AREA, A LARGE SWATH OF THE NEW CLIENTELE ARE COUPLES IN THEIR 30’S AND 40’S TRYING TO AVOID CONSCRIPTION BACK IN RUSSIA

THE INFLUX OF RUSSIANS IS ALSO IMPACTING THE JOB MARKET IN THAILAND. MANY BUSINESS OWNERS IN THE TOURISM INDUSTRY ARE ANGRY ABOUT THE IMMIGRANT RUSSIANS ALLEGEDLY TAKING LOCAL JOBS.

WE’VE BEEN FOLLOWING THE WAR IN UKRAINE FOR THE LAST YEAR AT STRAIGHT ARROW. FOR THOSE UNBIASED, STRAIGHT FACTS, CHECK OUT STRAIGHT ARROW NEWS DOT COM.