# Analysis: No, Russian soldiers in Ukraine are not ‘kids’ with ‘no choice but to fight and die’

https://mins.news/en/item/116159

- The Kyiv Independent, 2026-10-26 16:24 UTC
- World
- Original: https://kyivindependent.com/analysis-no-elon-musk-russian-soldiers-in-ukraine-are-not-kids-who-have-no-choice-but-to-fight-and-die/

> The article rejects Elon Musk’s claim that Russian conscripts have no choice but to fight and die in Ukrainian drone strikes. It says most Russian soldiers fighting in Ukraine volunteered for pay, while Russia’s infantry assaults consume troops whom commanders treat as disposable.

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- [Russians describe forced and deceptive military recruitment](https://mins.news/en/video/117851) — CNN, 2026-10-27