From the Donbas to Africa: How Returning Fighters Could Fuel a New Mercenary Wave
What will happen to the thousands of militaries involved in the war between Russia and Ukraine once the war is over? Hundreds of thousands of battle-hardened soldiers from Russia’s full-scale war in Ukraine will have to be demobilized once a credible ceasefire agreement/peace accord is signed. Depending on the outcome of the war, both states will want to keep sizable and strong armies, Ukraine for deterrence purposes and Russia either for control of its seized territory in Ukraine or, in case of a clear loss, for continued aggression to reach its political objectives, both in Ukraine and beyond. Yet, in spite of these factors, a large number of soldiers will have to demobilize from the national armed forces with significant consequences, a process which has already partly begun.
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