Exclusive translation: Russian President Vladimir Putin has become so desperate after losing 50,000 Russian soldiers during the war in Ukraine that he has had to recruit older soldiers to help fill in the massive gaps.
The Russian war in Ukraine was brutal, with many Ukrainian cities reduced to rubble and thousands of civilians killed, according to the Express newspaper.
But Putin’s forces have suffered several major setbacks over the past five months after being attacked by fierce Ukrainian resistance that forced them to withdraw from the cities.
The war has already claimed the lives of 50,000 Putin soldiers, including many high-ranking officials with close ties to the president.
Russia is also now aghast at how badly its forces have been depleted since the invasion began five months ago, as it raised the minimum service age to 50.