Reserve Instead of Mobilization: Russia Finds a Cheaper Way to Wage War

Russia plans to deploy reservists to protect critical infrastructure from drone strikes.

Vladimir Tsimlyansky, Deputy Chief of the Main Organizational and Mobilization Directorate of the Russian General Staff, announced the plan, according to Zvezda TV channel.

The Russian Ministry of Defense has drafted a bill proposing that reservists be sent to special training camps to safeguard energy, transport, oil refining, and other key infrastructure facilities.

According to the document, reservists would be deployed only within their home regions.

The formation of these units is intended to bolster defenses against drones targeting Russian territory.

Analysts at the U.S.-based Institute for the Study of War (ISW) have weighed in on the plan.

They suggest that Russia may gradually mobilize reservists to support its operations in Ukraine without resorting to large-scale forced mobilization.

The amendments, ISW notes, would allow the Kremlin to deploy reservists more quickly to combat zones without a formal declaration of war or mobilization, streamlining the process of replenishing frontline losses.

Gradual mobilization of reservists is also a cheaper alternative for Russia compared with recruiting volunteers, which requires paying high bonuses and increased salaries, the analysts said.

Such payments, in turn, drive inflation and further destabilize Russia’s already fragile economy.

Previously, Russia reported amendments to another military law, introducing a 30-day reporting period to military registration and enlistment offices within the country.