Exercises of Russia, China and Iran in the Gulf of Oman and Moscow’s new recruitment: 400 thousand soldiers for the war in Ukraine

On April 1, Russia will begin a new recruitment of contract soldiers. The Ministry of Defense has sent orders to the regions indicating the number of people they must sign up. Russian regional media write that, according to the plans of the Russian Defense Ministry, the army is to be replenished with 400,000 contract soldiers. 

Meanwhile, the armed forces of China, Iran, Russia and other countries will hold a series of joint naval exercises in the Gulf of Oman called “Security Bond – 2023”, from today, March 15, to March 19.

A note from Beijing’s Defense Ministry says that these are operations developed from cycles already conducted by China, Iran, and Russia in 2019 and 2022. And after the crash involving a Russian plane and an American drone, Moscow is asking Washington to stop what it calls. “unacceptable military activity near Russia’s borders.” 

Russia’s ambassador to the United States, Anatoly Antonov, said he considers the flights hostile: “We all know what these unmanned reconnaissance aircraft are for. That is, to collect intelligence that Ukraine will then use to strike at Russia.”

In general, such statements are considered absurd when Russia commits crimes against humanity every day, killing thousands of civilians in Ukraine and Syria and threatening nuclear war around the world.