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Putin Calls for Disabled Russian Veterans to Be Placed in Defense Plants
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Russian leader Vladimir Putin called for wounded and disabled veterans of Russia’s war against Ukraine to be placed in defense plants and other industrial sectors, The Moscow Times reported on May 14.
Speaking at the 10th Congress of the Union of Machine Builders of Russia, Putin instructed the government, line ministries, and corporate executives to channel returning fighters into the defense-industrial complex.
He also called for their placement in other industrial branches.
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“Yes, the guys are fighting, they are proving themselves, but they need to be supported. We need to look for talented ones; there are many talented people there,” Putin said.
He framed the move as essential to reinforcing Russia's "technological sovereignty," securing domestic production of "critically important products," and accelerating innovation across the sector.
"I ask the government, the relevant ministries, and company executives to facilitate in the most active way the arrival of such people in the domestic defense-industrial complex and other industrial sectors," Putin stated.
The directive targets a growing group of Russian soldiers returning from the front with severe wounds and permanent disabilities. By the end of 2024, roughly 376,000 Russians had sustained severe battlefield wounds resulting in disability, according to estimates by the International Institute for Strategic Studies.
Those casualty figures continue to climb. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio stated on May 14 that Russia is losing an estimated 15,000 to 20,000 soldiers killed each month. Speaking during a foreign policy hearing, he described Ukraine's army as the strongest and most powerful in Europe, citing its combat experience and sustained Western support.
A senior Russian official familiar with the data previously stated that roughly half of the severely wounded had undergone limb amputations.
The drive to absorb veterans into industry follows a parallel Kremlin effort earlier this year targeting Russia's depleted law enforcement apparatus. On March 4, Putin ordered the Ministry of Internal Affairs to address severe personnel shortages by recruiting veterans of the war against Ukraine.
The directive followed warnings from Interior Minister Vladimir Kolokoltsev, who reported a shortfall of 212,000 personnel in 2025.
The shortage has already hit key branches of Russian law enforcement, including patrol services, criminal investigations, district policing, and investigative bodies.
Kolokoltsev attributed the decline to low wages and excessive workloads, which he stated continue to drive resignations across the ministry.
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