Russian regions continue to increase payments to new contractors recruited for the war with Ukraine. At least 26 regions of Russia have raised payments at least once this year, calculated by the Russian BBC Service*. And almost half of the regions — 37 — offer recruits more than two million rubles.
The payments consist of three main parts: regional, federal, and in some cases municipal.
Sometimes state payments are supplemented by support from businesses — such a system operates, for example, in St. Petersburg and the Voronezh region. As a rule, it includes employment of contractors in companies. Sometimes, as in the Leningrad region, bonuses also include certificates for free land plots, which in some cases can be exchanged for money.
In the top five largest payments are Khanty-Mansi Autonomous Okrug (3.2 million rubles), Tula and Moscow regions (3 million rubles), Tatarstan (2.8 million rubles), Yakutia (2.6 million rubles).
Moreover, in the Tula region, the payment was initially reduced from 2.1 million to 800 thousand rubles in March. But as of June 2, its amount increased to 2.6 million and will be valid at least until July 31. No explanation for this from the authorities followed.
The minimum recommended amount of 400 thousand rubles is currently offered by 17 regions, including the Ryazan region, Karelia, and Chechnya.
At the beginning of the year, a number of regions reduced payments, which were actively increased in the fall of 2024. This was most strongly reflected in the frontline Belgorod region, where the amount decreased from 2.2 million to 800 thousand rubles.
As previously calculated by «Important Stories»**, up to 407.2 thousand people signed a contract with the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation in 2024. By the end of last year, the recruitment rate of new recruits into the Russian army became lower than in 2023. According to budget expenditure data, in the 4th quarter of 2024, an average of 1700 people signed a contract per day. This is 1.3 times less than in the same period last year.
* Recognized in Russia as a «foreign agent».
** Recognized in Russia as a «foreign agent» and «undesirable» organization.