Allegedly most of the Russian soldiers are volunteers, lured by promises of high pay.
Imagine that for months more than a thousand Russians are doing this every day, only to get to the front line to get killed!
Even if they survive for a while, the stories of unpaid soldiers are plenty, and those who do get paid are often skimmed by their commanders.
So how bad is it in Russia since it seems like a good option to risk your life for a bit of money?
Somehow risking it all for the slight chance of some little money seems worth it. But these guys could be so much more effective and bring so much more life improvements by risking it instead in protests and civilian unrest to topple their regime.