The misconception that Russian soldiers are forced to fight against their will in Ukraine is one that has consistently reached the most powerful men in the United States.

Most Russian soldiers fighting in Ukraine chose to do so voluntarily, and did so not for values, but for cold, hard cash.

But amazingly, despite this grim everyday reality of Moscow’s war machine, Russia is able to continue without resorting to forced mobilization, as tens of thousands of Russians continue to sign up voluntarily every month.