ISW: Russia formally integrates proxy militias from eastern Ukraine into Russian military
The Russian Defense Ministry confirmed the formal integration of the Russian-backed proxy militias from Donetsk and Luhansk oblasts into the Russian military, denying reported command changes within the proxy units, the Institute for the Study of War reported in its latest update.
In response to widespread military blogger and proxy criticisms about the reported dismissal of Donetsk Oblast proxy militia spokesman Eduard Basurin on Feb. 17, the Russian Defense Ministry denied reports about the alleged dismissal of officers in the integrated proxy units, the ISW reported.
The integration may be part of Russia's efforts to professionalize its military amid shortcomings in unit cohesion and a year of failures and setbacks on the battlefield. However, integrating proxy militias into the Russian military will likely cause tensions, as the proxy servicemen have not been trained as professional soldiers, the ISW said.
Proxy servicemen have also repeatedly complained about unequal treatment from the Kremlin. Russian mobilized servicemen have also recently accused the militia formations of abuse and discrimination, according to the update.
