BARS (
Russian: Боевой Армейский Резерв Страны - БАРС[1]) or simply the Combat Army Reserve is a
Russian military
reserve force implemented in 2015.[2][3]
History
Formation
The Combat Army Reserves was created by the
Ministry of Defence in 2015 as an analogous organization to the
British Territorial Army or the
United States Army Reserve with members being paid a salary per a three year or a one and a half year contract, and participating in at least a month per year of part-time training, with the prospect of being called to active duty in the event of war.[4] In 2019 a study by the
RAND Corporation found that there were only 4,000 to 5,000 reservists in the whole of Russia.[5]
In 2021, during the build-up towards the
Russian Invasion of Ukraine, the BARS were the subject of a massive recruitment campaign titled "BARS-21" which
Russian Defense MinisterSergey Shoigu stated in several speeches hoped would bolster the force to 80,000 to 100,000 reservists. Eligible BARS reservists in the days before the invasion included soldiers younger than 42, junior officers younger than 47, colonels younger than 57, and other senior officials younger than 52.[5] When the war did break out, 20 BARS units consisting of an estimated 10,000 reservists, were sent to Ukraine to take part in the initial invasion. BARS reservists were, on paper, paid a much higher salary than Russian conscripts and were supposed receive a hefty pension for their service, however, upon the completion of their service, most reservists saw little to none of the promised money or bonuses. Most BARS soldiers are older veterans of the
War in the Donbas, with many being members of the
Union of Donbass Volunteers, and are from smaller rural settlements.[6] BARS units and Russian
PMCs often overlap, with several BARS units being directly affiliated or even run by a PMC, leaving the units in a legal grey-area.[4]
On 24 July 2023,
Vladimir Putin signed a law increasing the maximum age for all BARS members by five years. The legislation increased the maximum age of privates, sergeants, and warrant officers from 35 to 40, officers of middle ranks from 45 to 50, and high-ranking officers from 50 to 55.[7][8]
BARS-Kaskad "Waterfall":[38] According to the UK MoD intelligence created by
Dmitry Sablin, a unit of drone operators, far behind the front line for VIPs and the family members of
Kremlin elite. It allows VIPs to serve in Ukraine with a reduced risk of personal injury compared to “frontline troops”. VIPs serving in Kaskad are provided with a
security detail or
bodyguards. On 16 April 2024, the husband of Russian
influencerYelena Blinovskaya, Alexei Blinovsky was serving with the unit.[39][40]