Putin backed using volunteers deemed fully unfit for service in rear-area drone defense, adding to signs of manpower pressure in Russia’s war economy.
Several hundred Ukrainian soldiers have deserted military training courses in Germany since 2022, with over 80 cases recorded in Saxony-Anhalt, raising concerns over troop morale and training effectiveness.
Belarus President Lukashenko orders non-performing agricultural workers to undergo military training to improve labor discipline during the harvest season.
Gazprom has contracted with Russia's Defense Ministry to form mobile security units to patrol and protect gas infrastructure, employing personnel without active military status.
Lithuania, Poland, and France conduct joint military drills in June near the strategic Suwalki Corridor to enhance defense amid rising regional tensions and Russian military buildup.
The US plans to withdraw 5,000 troops from Germany within a year amid strategic reassessment, impacting defense sector and transatlantic relations.