Russia is in dire need of personnel to work at defense enterprises: such factories are looking for tens of thousands of new employees. The production of weapons and military equipment has increased sharply due to the war that Russia is waging. There are few suitable
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personnel on the labor market, sometimes the search lasts for months. As a result, the demand for shift workers in the industry is growing, and some defense plants are actively attracting young people. Russian BBC News investigated vacancies at Russian defense plants. In the
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period from August 15 to September 15, more than 90 thousand vacancies were posted on the largest Russian job search portals, where defense enterprises, state defense orders or the defense-industrial complex were mentioned, as well as published by defense industry
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enterprises. Engineers of various categories, turners and CNC machine operators are especially actively sought. Despite the tempting salary, the ads are not viewed very much and they hang for weeks or even months. In early 2024, President Vladimir Putin said that "in the
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last year and a half alone, 520,000 new jobs have been created in the defense industry." Deputy Prime Minister Denis Manturov cited a similar figure at the time. According to him, the number of employees in the military-industrial complex has grown by 600,000 since 2023.
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State and pro-Kremlin media regularly advertise jobs at military factories. The shortage is also caused by the fact that Russia as a whole is experiencing a shortage of personnel. Some current and potential employees have gone to fight in Ukraine, while others have gone
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abroad amid the war and mass mobilization. The influx of migrants into the country has also decreased. One sign of a personnel shortage is that the same plant often opens multiple vacancies in the same specialty at the same time. In some cases, plants are trying to solve
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the problem by training specialists. In 2024, manufacturing and industrial enterprises published 1.1 thousand vacancies for apprentice turners, grinders, milling machine operators and fitters, which is almost twice as much as in the same period last year. But one of the most
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effective ways to solve the problem (at least in the short term) is a shift work. Factories and recruiters are trying to attract employees from other regions by temporarily housing them near their workplace. The number of shift work vacancies from January to July of this
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year in all industries increased by 460.5 thousand, that is, by 32%. At enterprises of the military-industrial complex, the highest salaries - around 200 thousand rubles per month (approx. € 1,900) - are usually offered to welders, turners and CNC operators for shift work.
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But not everyone wants to go on a shift. According to HeadHunter, only about 3% of all applicants are ready to agree to such work. In recent months, the recruiting company Ancor has recorded accumulated fatigue among defense plant workers due to the high work pace and large
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volumes of overtime. Neither salary increases nor conscription exemptions help to keep employees from leaving for calmer jobs. Shift work often does not include full days off. Some ads indicate a 6/1 or even 7/0 work schedule for 11 hours. Going to work on a rare day off,
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if one is included in the schedule, is encouraged in some ads with additional payments. Among the leaders in the number of vacancies offered are predictably Moscow and the Moscow region, as well as the Sverdlovsk region, where, according to 2022 data, 20% of Russian defense
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enterprises were concentrated. Despite the obvious need for personnel, the salaries offered at defense industry enterprises are not growing as quickly as payments for contract service in the Russian army.
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Putin’s declaration of a ceasefire during the Victory Day celebrations in Moscow is nothing but another manipulation. He’s simply afraid of Ukrainian drones that could ruin the parade and steal the show. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky stated: “We value human lives, 1/9
not parades. That’s why we believe — the world believes — that there is no reason to wait until May 8,” and proposed a 30-day ceasefire instead. In response, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov called Ukraine’s lack of direct response to Putin’s proposal a “manipulation.” 2/9
“Manipulation is not giving a direct answer to President Putin’s initiative. It’s more than just manipulation. Still, we hope that the peaceful initiative of the Russian president will be acknowledged. Because we haven’t heard any reaction from European capitals, nor a 3/9
The outgoing Biden administration will be remembered in history as an example of failed U.S. security assistance policy. Enormous sums allocated by the United States for aid to Ukraine have remained uncontracted. Of the many billions of dollars provided through the USAI 1/5
program, only $13 million were committed to contracts. Approximately $10 billion remains unused, and its allocation will be handled by the new administration. For comparison, $4.6 billion in replacement funds were obligated during the same period. While the United States 2/5
continues to declare itself Ukraine’s strongest ally, its delays lead to significant losses among Ukrainians. Ukraine depends on international aid, and without the support of its allies, it would not have been able to hold back Russia’s advance for so long. However, 3/5
Russia exploits the energy crisis in Transnistria to escalate tensions in the region and shift blame onto Ukraine. Moldova offered assistance with fuel and gas supplies, but the government of the unrecognized republic refused the help. Playing the victim and portraying
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Ukraine in a negative light now serves their interests much better. The same tactics are employed by other allies of Putin and Moldova's neighbors - Hungary and Slovakia. The Kremlin uses these situations as part of a massive information campaign against Ukraine, aiming
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to influence public opinion across Europe. Propagandists are on the ground, producing videos showing freezing, impoverished residents left without gas. Although Hungary and Slovakia secured gas supplies through the TurkStream pipeline, costs have risen significantly.
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Happy New Year! So many events have unfolded during the break that it’s hard to choose a topic for an article. Perhaps the most pressing issue today is the new offensive in the Kursk region. Since the operation has just begun, and naturally, the Armed Forces of Ukraine
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keep their plans secret, reports on Telegram suggest the offensive is progressing successfully. Ukrainian forces are actively using electronic warfare systems. Regarding the Donetsk region, Russia continues its advance, though the pace has noticeably slowed, which does not
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make the AFU’s job any easier. In Pokrovsk, Russian drones are operating intensively. Multiple sources have noted that the main issue on the Pokrovsk front is internal problems within the Ukrainian army, as reported by numerous military insiders. There are shortages of
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This week, we received an answer on how effective the Korean troops are and how much they are helping Russia in the Kursk region. Footage of North Korean attacks demonstrates that they lack the skills to conduct modern warfare, which was not a surprise. They managed to
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capture several trenches, which were eventually recaptured by Ukrainian forces. The North Koreans became easy targets as they advanced through open fields in large groups. They proved to be ineffective, but it should not be forgotten that Ukrainians still have to repel these
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attacks, incurring their own losses. The situation remains difficult on the Pokrovsk direction as well. However, there have been some changes and personnel reshuffles. For a long time, reports from the area highlighted inadequate command, which led to the advancement of
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No dictatorship lasts forever, and all dictators are mortal. Putin, due to his age alone, may "kick the bucket" very soon, although, unlike ordinary Russians, he can afford proper medical care. The events in Syria are clearly a significant blow to his nervous system and 1/9
heart health. Such a scenario is now easy to imagine within Russia itself. The fall of Assad created a power vacuum in Syria, and now several countries are advancing their interests. Sunnis backed by Turkey, Kurds supported by the U.S., factions supported by Israel, Iran and 2/9
remnants of Hezbollah, along with the remains of Russian units — all of it has become a chaotic mix. It's far too early to speak of an end to the crisis. Stability in Syria will not return soon. Over the years, Assad destroyed the moderate opposition, leaving only the most 3/9