How do you think this new regiment will fair against the original French Foreign Legion?

http://themoscownews.com/news/20101125/188233351.html

Who the hell wants to sign up for an army in a country with such poor wages and living conditions. It may only appeal to people in the Third World. Guess how the standard will be.

Originally Posted by 42RM

Who the hell wants to sign up for an army in a country with such poor wages and living conditions. It may only appeal to people in the Third World. Guess how the standard will be.

The article states their are people from the CIS and Africa though I still don't see the appeal even from such miserable places like Zimbabwe or Somalia.

However, the point must be made why would someone want to join the Russian Foreign Legion and not the French Foreign Legion where the salary, training and benefits are better? The only reason I can see if that the FFL is much more selective. I suspect the RFL recruiting standards will be very low.

And for Russian citizenship? Russian is a semi-totalitarian state and the Russian police allow the far rightwing to publicly assault foreigners, including visiting foreign businessmen, and even occasionally Americans. I don't see why any foreigner would want to go.

Considering the Russian reputation for using their own people for cannon fodder, & these are foriegners.....

russia needs troops ..... they have to do everything they can

Maybe Russia is seeking to improve certain aspects of it's fighting forces, many countries have done this throughout history.

Normally this works really well, being as if Russia can pull in fighting men under the offer of citizenship, and offer it to volunteers from not so great places from around the globe.

Can I get a like as well?

The Russian Army is creating a foreign legion in an attempt to attract overseas recruits to a force that is widely hated and avoided by young Russians. Perhaps the top brass is hoping to evoke something of the romance of the French Foreign Legion, but recruits are coming from former Soviet republics where unemployment is high and poverty rife. The army is facing a wave of reluctance and even defiance from Russian youths ahead of the draft. Some young men and their families still regard military service as an honour and a mark of manhood but many more see conscription as tantamount to a two-year prison sentence. Rich families pay bribes to get exemptions for their boys while poorer youths dodge the draft as best they can.