ABSTRACT

Russia has traditionally maintained a large army to defend its borders. Now there is evidence that the Kremlin has utilized proxy militias and private military companies to launch operations abroad. The article will focus on the Russian interventions in Ukraine and Syria. It will claim that there are three reasons for the use of surrogate forces. Domestic developments, including new social attitudes, can explain why the Kremlin has been keen to hide casualties from the public. Concerns over legal and reputation repercussions mean that Moscow wants to minimize the Russian footprint in both countries. Finally, the use of militias and private contractors has certain military advantages for the Russian side.

摘要

俄罗斯传统上一直维持一支庞大的军队来保卫其边界。现在有证据表明，克里姆林宫已经利用代理民兵和私人军事公司在国外开展业务。本文将重点介绍俄罗斯对乌克兰和叙利亚的干预。它将声称使用代用部队的三个原因。包括新的社会态度在内的国内事态发展可以解释克里姆林宫为何热衷于向公众隐藏人员伤亡。对法律和声誉影响的担忧意味着莫斯科希望最大程度地减少俄罗斯在这两个国家的足迹。最后，使用民兵和私人承包商对俄罗斯方面具有一定的军事优势。