Heavy losses in the summer of 2025 in failed Ukrainian campaigns have prompted Russian mercenary groups to go on a hiring spree.
Private military companies linked to Russian GRU military intelligence have, since the start of summer, launched large-scale recruitment operations online and in various cities across the country.
The Española battalion, formed in 2014 on the model of football hooligan groups and under the supervision of the GRU, held an event in Moscow in July aimed at recruiting engineers and telecoms specialists. Española’s overall objective is to improve its jamming and countermeasure capabilities.
The Veteran battalion, which is mainly composed of former members of the Russian security services and armed forces, is focusing on online recruitment campaigns. A July 2025 television report glorifying the group boosted this effort. A few days later, it published an advertisement leaving the contact details of three recruiters directly on their page on the Russian social network Vkontakte.
Another entity linked to Redut and also engaged in a recruitment drive is the Terek Cossack Reconnaissance Brigade, made up of various groups with disparate numbers of members, which recently gained popularity after President Vladimir Putin signed a flag bearing its emblem.
It published an ad on 5 July seeking to recruit infantry soldiers, drone pilots, jamming specialists, sappers, and medics. It promised an average salary of 344,000 roubles ($4,500) per month, along with generous bonuses.
Within the Terek brigade, the Normandie-Niémen drone unit (IO, 14/05/24) also posted a recruitment ad in May promising a monthly salary of 220,000 roubles ($2,800).
According to one report, Russian armed forces sustained 31,000 KIAs from May through July, mostly in the Kherson region.
In response to the huge casualties, Russia has shifted tactics. Its forces now pressure the entire front line, hoping to exhaust the resources of the Ukrainian forces. This strategy has not yet led to a collapse of the Ukrainian defence lines.
What American Private Military Contractors Do
Economic forecasters predict significant growth in the private military contractor sector, and thankfully, wartime casualties will not drive this growth. That is mostly because private military contractors, unlike Russian mercenaries, focus on multiple areas.
On a related note, oversight (or the lack thereof) separates contractors and mercenaries. American private military contractors are subject to U.S. civil and criminal laws, no matter where they operate. Mercenaries are pretty much completely outside the law.
Security
Many contractors put the “M” in “military contractors.” Most private contractors are former servicemembers or law enforcement officers. These individuals usually work in combat support and deterrence roles.
Combat support generally includes guard duty and other defensive responsibilities that free government troops for offensive operations. Many individuals believe guard duty is punishment duty. But contractors readily embrace this responsibility.
As mentioned, many contractors are former law enforcement officers who know the value of deterrence. A single Humvee rumbling down a street often is a more effective deterrent than an entire contingent of soldiers.
Support
Contractor combat support roles include systems maintenance, troop training, and direct combat support operations.
Advanced weapons systems give security forces a critical edge over gun-toting militants. These systems must operate at peak efficiency at all times, often in very hostile environments. Contractors also train the next generation of security forces so that everyone can go home faster. Other combat support positions include chefs, morale officers, and doctors.
Rebuilding
Many people talk about the high cost of war. Few people talk about the higher cost of peace. After the fighting stops, key infrastructure must be rebuilt and online before most refugees even think about coming home.
Usually, contractors supervise rebuilding projects, and local residents swing the hammers. This approach ensures that the project moves forward on time and within the parameters set by designers, while at the same time giving the local community an investment in the project.
Roads, bridges, and other such projects usually require armed security, especially in volatile nations. So, these three contractor duties often overlap.
Injury Compensation Available
All three of these areas are very dangerous. Traumatic injuries, like falls, and occupational diseases, like hearing loss, are common. A Defense Base Act lawyer obtains important benefits for these victims and their families.
Generally, the Defense Base Act insurance company pays two-thirds of the victim’s AWW (average weekly wage) for the duration of a temporary or permanent disability. The AWW is not the same as the average net pay. AWW also includes non-cash compensation, such as matching 401(k) contributions. The AWW also includes irregular compensation, such as performance bonuses and overtime opportunities.
Moreover, Defense Base Act benefits cover all reasonably necessary medical expenses. Reimbursement amount disputes are very common in categories like:
- Transportation Costs: Most insurance companies pay for one level down. If a victim is medevaced to a hospital, the insurance company usually claims that surface ambulance transportation was reasonably necessary, and they only pay part of the bill.
- Emergency Care: Many insurance adjusters also believe that all illnesses and injuries are roughly the same. A broken bone is a broken bone. But deployment-related injuries are usually much worse than accidental injuries. As a result, doctors must be more aggressive when treating these conditions.
- Physical Therapy: The more aggressive medical treatment usually means longer and more expensive physical therapy. Yet most insurance adjusters refuse to connect the dots. As a result, a Defense Base Act lawyer must advocate for victims in these situations to ensure they get the treatment they need, not the treatment an adjuster agrees to pay for.
- Ancillary Costs: Generally, a health insurance company typically pays most prescription drugs, medical devices, and other ancillary costs. So, most people do not realize the true size of these ancillary expenses.
Many Claims Examiners side with insurance adjusters and deny DBA claims. At a subsequent appeal hearing, a Defense Base Act lawyer has much more latitude. Therefore, most payment disputes settle out of court, and on victim-friendly terms.
For more information about DBA eligibility, contact Barnett, Lerner, Karsen, Frankel & Castro, P.A.