Russia offers record payouts as war with Ukraine drags on

The Russian authorities have no choice. Local media report that some regions are constantly increasing the one-time amount paid for enlisting in the military. The one-time amount now exceeds one million rubles, which is about 12,000 US dollars. Western intelligence reports that this year, the Kremlin aims to recruit almost half a million new soldiers.

The war in Ukraine has been ongoing for more than two years. Western intelligence has repeatedly reported that the Russians are recruiting hundreds of thousands of soldiers to compensate for the losses.

Novaya Gazeta reports that regional payments for signing a contract with the Russian Ministry of Defense have increased 80-fold.

There is clearly a shortage of volunteers signing contracts in quantities needed by the military, considering the current level of losses in the Russian army and the intensity of the war activities. It is still difficult to assess whether these payments are working, says military expert Pavel Luzin.

According to Russian media, Karachay-Cherkessia is currently the leader in terms of payments. This region is already paying 1.3 million rubles (about 16,000 US dollars) for signing a war contract. Considering the federal reward, the total payment amount in the region has reached 1.5 million rubles (about 18,000 US dollars and about 16,000 euros). Contracted soldiers from Adygea receive nearly the same amount.

In the Krasnodar Territory, the one-time bonus for signing a contract is 1 million rubles (about 12,000 US dollars), and Krasnodar itself adds 250,000 rubles (about 3,000 US dollars) for those who sign contracts at municipal draft boards. This is the third-highest rate in the country.

Since the beginning of the war, 51 regions have introduced and at least once increased additional payments, and the average salary in two years has increased 15-fold. Out of 73 increases in regional payments throughout the war, 40, or more than half, occurred in 2022. Due to regional increases, local budgets have reported deficits totaling 303.5 billion rubles (about 4.1 billion US dollars), reports Novaya Gazeta.

According to Pavel Luzin, who spoke with Novaya Gazeta, the subsidies allow regional authorities to conduct irresponsible financial policies, and the increase in subsidies indicates a lack of volunteers to fight back.

According to the expert, if the authorities want to increase the number of contract workers, they must use deceit, coercion, or increase the payments.

According to the British, the Kremlin expects 400,000 new soldiers this year.