RECRUITMENT
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Russia’s Assault Arithmetic Points to a Growing Manpower Problem
Russia increased the number of assault actions along the Ukrainian front in May, but the additional effort produced little territorial gain. The figures point to a widening imbalance between the resources Moscow is committing and the results it is achieving.…
Russia’s drone training drive in Crimea raises legal risks over militarisation of children
Reports that Russian occupation authorities are expanding drone-piloting courses for students and teenagers in Crimea point to a broader wartime effort to turn education into a pipeline for military skills. Russian occupation authorities in Crimea are expanding drone-related training for…
Belgian Military Recruitment Surge Reflects Renewed National Confidence
Military recruitment across much of Western Europe is in decline as younger generations appeared increasingly detached from the idea of service, defence budgets languished and armed forces struggled to compete with the private sector for talent. Yet Belgium is now…
Paying for Power: How Military Salaries Diverge Across the US, UK and Europe
A meaningful comparison of military salaries across the United States, the United Kingdom, and Europe must begin with a structural observation: all modern armed forces use broadly similar rank hierarchies—enlisted personnel (other ranks), non-commissioned officers (NCOs), junior officers, and senior…
Integration Without Illusion: Women in Europe’s Combat Roles
The integration of women into combat roles across Europe has proceeded not with a trumpet blast of revolution, but with the steady, sometimes grudging, rhythm of institutional change. What was once unthinkable—women in infantry units, armoured corps, even special forces—has…
Germany publishes first military strategy as Berlin sets out force-growth and reserve plans
Germany has published a new strategic framework for the Bundeswehr, combining its first military strategy with a force-growth plan, a revised reserve model and an administrative reform agenda, in what Berlin presents as a response to the deteriorating European security…
Germany moves to clarify overseas-travel rules for military-age men
Germany is trying to contain political and public criticism after attention focused on a provision in its updated military service framework requiring men aged 17 to 45 to seek permission before spending more than three months abroad. The issue moved…
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Romania’s delayed Watchkeeper X programme moves back into delivery phase
Romania’s troubled Watchkeeper X drone programme has moved back into a delivery phase after months of delay and public pressure from Bucharest, giving the country a badly needed procurement reset on NATO’s eastern flank. The immediate news peg came on…
Soldiers in Short Supply: Europe’s Armed Forces Face a Recruitment Reckoning
Europe’s armed forces are confronting a paradox that would have seemed improbable just a decade ago. Defence budgets are rising, strategic threats are intensifying, and political rhetoric increasingly emphasises preparedness, resilience, and the urgent need to strengthen military recruitment. Yet…
Russia turns to students and skilled workers to reinforce drone warfare capacity
New recruitment drives across Russia show how the Kremlin is trying to sustain its war in Ukraine without declaring a broader mobilisation, by targeting technically trained students, drone operators and specialist workers with unusually large financial incentives. Russia is offering…