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The Russian army is suffering high casualties in the war against Ukraine and Vladimir Putin badly needs fresh troops. He wants to avoid a general mobilization, so the military is relying on other methods.
Stepan Oseyev, a 31-year-old career soldier from the settlement of Ust-Kiran in Russia's Buryatia region, was buried in late March after being killed in combat in Ukraine. His family and friends remember a determined young man for whom the military was the only escape from a life of poverty.
At least 112 soldiers from Russia's Buryatia region have been killed in Ukraine since February, according to the Free Buryatia Foundation. Current Time reports on some of those who have died and spoke to people in the region. (WARNING: Viewers may find the content of this video disturbing.)