In russia, there is an increasing promotion of compulsory labour for the purposes of war – UK Intelligence

In russia, much like the USSR, compulsory labour for the needs of war is being promoted more frequently, according to British intelligence.

"Over the past weeks, the tone of public debates in russia has shifted from merely punishing those who criticise the war in Ukraine to calls for citizens to actively sacrifice themselves in support of military efforts," the British review states.

In particular, russian state media and business groups have appealed to the Ministry of Economy to permit a six-day working week for workers in view of the economic demands of the war, seemingly without additional pay.

The UK intelligence cites an example that on May 21, Margarita Simonyan, one of russia's main propagandists, said that russians should work an additional two hours per day in ammunition production factories.

"These statements clearly echo Soviet-style social coercion. It also underscores that the kremlin likely considers economic indicators a decisive factor for victory in war," British intelligence states.

Background. Earlier, British intelligence reported that russia was facing its most significant labour shortage in decades. Over the last three years, the population of russia has decreased by 2 million more than expected due to the impacts of COVID-19 and the war in Ukraine. The Central Bank of russia surveyed 14,000 employers and found that the number of available workers is at its lowest level since 1998.