British military officials said arson attacks on Russian military enlistment offices have doubled in the last six months, a sign of growing dissatisfaction with the Kremlin’s prosecution of the war in Ukraine, now approaching its second anniversary.
Last week, Russian authorities reported 220 attacks on enlistment offices since the conflict began in February 2022. Meanwhile, the Russian independent news agency Mediazona has tracked at least 113 attempts to torch military recruiting offices since July 26, 2023.
“Taken together, these statistics indicate a doubling of arson attacks on enlistment offices over the last six months,” British military intelligence officials said Sunday in their latest assessment of the battlefield conditions in Ukraine.
The director of Russia’s foreign intelligence service, known as the SVR, said the offices were torched by people acting on behalf of “Western officials.” Those accused of carrying out the arson attacks have been charged with terrorism and treason, according to the British Ministry of Defense.
“The increase in attacks is highly likely due to a greater since of dissatisfaction with the war amongst the Russian population and especially those who would be mobilized should a second wave of mobilization be announced,” British officials posted on X.
During a press conference on Dec. 14, Russian President Vladimir Putin said there would be no further military mobilization efforts to help support the war effort in Ukraine.
“The (arson) attacks highly likely suggest a lack of confidence in this promise,” British officials said.
• Mike Glenn can be reached at mglenn@washingtontimes.com.
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