Ukraine’s warning that Russia is systematically recruiting foreign fighters points less to strength than to strain. Kyiv says Moscow is drawing manpower from abroad through cash incentives, fast-track passports, and legal leniency, a sign its domestic pool is under pressure after years of high-intensity combat. For NATO, the pattern reinforces a familiar picture: Russia sustaining the war through expedients rather than advantage. It also sharpens the contrast with Ukraine’s defense, which contin