The Russian Ministry of Defense published a new recruitment video Wednesday in its latest attempt to convince Russian men to abandon civilian life and join the war effort.
The advert appears to mock men for wasting their time working as security guards, taxi drivers and personal fitness trainers. It ends with a shot of armed men in military uniforms with white smoke behind them and a large caption: "You're a real man. Be one."
The ad also advertises the monthly salary one can earn by signing a Russian military contract, starting at about $2,510.
Since the beginning of its full-scale invasion of Ukraine, propaganda videos have played a key role in Moscow's efforts to recruit fighters. Videos posted on social media and aired on Russian TV try to appeal to Russian men through the narratives of patriotism, morality and upward social mobility.
Russia's efforts to shore up its forces: Moscow's latest recruitment push comes shortly after Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a law creating an electronic conscription registry which aims to make draft dodging harder.
During Russia’s partial mobilization last September, men dodged the draft by leaving their registered addresses, not signing for draft letters and warning their family and co-workers from doing the same for them.
Fears of a new mobilization: When the Russian parliament approved the law Wednesday making the country's conscription program more efficient and harder to evade, it spurred fears more citizens may soon be mobilized to fight in Ukraine.
The United Kingdom's Ministry of Defence said Saturday the law signals Putin is gearing up for a long conflict ahead.
The Kremlin, meanwhile, has characterized the law as an unremarkable streamlining of Russia’s biannual conscription process.