British Intelligence: In Russia, due to the war, forces labor duty may be reinstated

Changes to labor legislation are being prepared for residents of Russia, under which they may be relocated to regions facing labor shortages.

This was reported by the Ministry of Defense of the United Kingdom on Twitter.

According to the summary, Russia is currently experiencing a shortage of labor, which has become a serious problem in some industries. According to estimates by the publication "Izvestia," in 2023, Russia faced a shortage of 4.8 million workers. For example, the Russian transport and logistics sector was unable to fill 25% of vacancies for truck drivers in 2023.

According to British intelligence, the labor shortage, at least in part, was caused by Russia's war against Ukraine, which led to the mobilization of part of the working population and the emigration of some skilled professionals seeking to avoid conscription. Recently, the labor shortage has been exacerbated by restrictions on the employment of migrants introduced after the ISIS-K terrorist incident in Moscow on March 22, 2024.

Due to the labor shortage, a group of Russian parliamentarians is considering possible amendments to the Russian Labor Code. If adopted, this would mean that excess labor could be relocated under state supervision to workplaces facing labor shortages, according to the statement.

"The moves will be temporary and workers will only be transfered with their consent. However, although not coercive, it is potential move towards the mobilisation of labour," the Ministry of Defense of Britain noted.