Russia is now providing a record-breaking signing-on incentive to prospective recruits to fight in Ukraine, the latest hint of a race to increase Russian soldier numbers.
The incentive comes as Russian President Vladimir Putin seeks to attract recruits into his army as Russia’s full-fledged invasion of Ukraine approaches its third year.
Moscow Mayor Sergey Sobyanin announced a one-time signing incentive of 1.9 million rubles (about $22,000) for city residents who join the military in a statement on Tuesday night, July 23.
“Anyone taking up the offer would earn as much as 5.2 million rubles ($59,600) in their first year of service,” the statement read in part.
Those ready to fight in Ukraine can also get one-time cash payouts ranging from $5,690-$11,390 for injuries, “depending on the severity,” while the family of a soldier killed in action could receive $34,150.
According to a source familiar with a declassified US intelligence assessment submitted to Congress in December last year, Russia had lost 87% of its active-duty foot troops and two-thirds of its tanks before the invasion of Ukraine.
As personnel casualties increase, the Kremlin seeks fighters to dispatch to the front.
Putin has instructed the country’s military to raise troop numbers by 170,000, bringing the total number of Russian military personnel to more than 2.2 million, including 1.32 million troops, according to a Kremlin decree issued in December.
This translates to a 15% increase in the size of the Russian army, and it is the second such expansion since Putin began the attack.
Putin first ordered an urgent “partial mobilisation” of Russian citizens in September 2022, following a series of defeats that sparked recriminations in Moscow. The mobilisation meant that people who were military reservists may be called up, while those with military experience were liable to conscription.
The war has caused an exodus of military-age men departing the nation in order to escape participating in the conflict.
A Gentle Reminder: Every obstacle is a stepping stone, every morning; a chance to go again, and those little steps take you closer to your dream.
Nnamdi Okoli
