Russia offers workers up to $4,000 to dig trenches in Kursk Oblast

Russian job portals are advertising trench-digging positions in Kursk Oblast as Ukrainian forces continue to gain ground in the Russian border region, CNN reported on Aug. 14.
Ukraine’s cross-border incursion into neighboring Kursk Oblast began on Aug. 6, and by Aug. 13, Ukraine said it controlled 74 settlements in the region.
The job ads call for “general workers” who are able to dig fortifications in Kursk Oblast, with posted pay rates ranging between 150,000-371,000 rubles (approximately $1,600-4,000).
In the days following Ukraine’s surprise incursion across the border into Russia, reports surfaced of Russian personnel digging trenches near the Kursk Nuclear Power Plant (KNPP) in preparation for Ukraine’s advance.
Analysts at the Institute for the Study of War (ISW) also reported on Aug. 11 that Russia was working to build up its border fortifications but had not dedicated adequate personnel to the task.
“Sparsely manned and equipped border fortifications proved insufficient at preventing Ukrainian gains at the outset of the Ukrainian incursion into Kursk Oblast, and the Russian military command will likely conclude that further manpower and equipment commitments to the international border will be required,” the ISW wrote.
Tge Foreign Ministry has said that the aim of Ukraine’s incursion is to prevent Russia from sending reinforcements to the front lines in Donetsk Oblast.
The offensive is also designed to disrupt Russian logistics and halt cross-border attacks in lieu of conducting long-range strikes with Western arms, which remain restricted by international partners.