Inside Russia’s Shadow Military Sustaining the War

Russia is increasingly leaning on a shadow military of irregular forces to sustain its war in Ukraine, institutionalizing them under state control. These units, including private military companies like Redut, regional volunteer battalions, and far-right paramilitaries, now constitute a large portion of Russian-commanded troops and are used for high-risk missions. While this strategy provides Moscow with manpower and avoids the political costs of a general mobilization, it also degrades the professionalism of the regular army. U.S. policymakers are advised to recognize these irregulars as a core part of Russia's military capacity and make their demobilization a key condition in any future peace deal.