Russia's defense ministry has launched a video advertising campaign on social media and its state-run TV channel to call on civilians to join the military.

Moscow is reportedly seeing serious shortages of service members more than a year into the invasion of Ukraine.

The advertisements have some patterns. One punctuates a confrontational stance toward Western nations, claiming that Russia is on the verge of being torn apart. It urges people to safeguard their future, saying children will not forgive them if they just sit idly by.

Each ad ends with a promise of a monthly salary of at least 204,000 rubles, or around 2,500 dollars.

The Wagner Group private military company is also mounting a similar ad drive in Moscow.

Russia is purportedly trying to recruit 400,000 voluntary soldiers.

But the UK defense ministry said in its intelligence update on Sunday that it remains "highly unlikely" that the campaign will attract the reported target.

The ministry added that Russian "authorities are almost certainly seeking to delay any new, overt mandatory mobilization for as long as possible to minimize domestic dissent."