In addition, there are benefits such as tax exemption, support for the education of any children, and care for the military’s parents.
Ten times the average salary
This sum, equivalent to almost ten years of average salary in some civilian sectors, becomes the main argument to attract new volunteers to what the Kremlin calls the “special operation” in Ukraine. Faced with the emergency, Russia therefore seems to need soldiers, and money becomes one of the most powerful means to attract them. While the government claims that more than 1,000 men enlist every day, these figures remain difficult to verify. In addition, the sudden increase in bonuses and financial benefits for soldiers seems to indicate that the Kremlin is having difficulty recruiting enough. “If they had enough recruits, they wouldn’t have needed to raise the bonuses so much.”observers of the Russian military system point out to our colleagues at France Info.
“The Russian economy has no chance of developing in the coming years”
But the recruitment campaign does not stop at the promise of financial gains. It is accompanied by active propaganda broadcast on all media, where patriotism is particularly highlighted. A television commercial shows this propaganda by contrasting Western men considered “effeminate”, sipping smoothies and wearing jewelry. In contrast, Russian soldiers in uniform, robust and determined. “Real men”.
Targeting disadvantaged regions
Money becomes an even more crucial factor in the most disadvantaged regions, such as Buryatia, located in Siberia, on the border with Mongolia. This region, which has been a supplier of soldiers since the beginning of the conflict, sees entire families tempted by enlistment bonuses, says the activity Alexandra Garmajapova to the French media. A sum that is difficult to refuse in a region where, for example, a simple truckload of firewood for the winter can cost 30,000 rubles (around 290 euros).
It is worth noting that, in addition to generous bonuses for the living, Russia also promises colossal compensation to the families of soldiers killed in combat. In the event of death, families can receive up to 12 million rubles (about 120,000 euros). This sum is so high that in some regions of the country, death becomes economically more advantageous than years of work. Vladislav Inozemtsev, a Russian economist exiled in the United States, describes this situation as a real ““death economy”.
Could the war in Ukraine cost the invader dearly? “Russia owes $32 billion in compensation”
This strategy, based on financial promises, allows Russia for the moment to maintain its troops without having to launch a new wave of mobilization, like that of September 2022, which pushed hundreds of thousands of men to flee the country.
In any case, economists say Russia still seems able to finance these bonuses and benefits for several years, thus ensuring the continuity of the war in Ukraine without provoking a new internal crisis. However, if it had to print money to meet its commitments, this could further fuel inflation, while the value of the ruble has already fallen in the last two years.
