Payments to Contract Soldiers Sharply Reduced in Four Regions of Russia

In Tatarstan, Chuvashia, Mari El, and Belgorod Oblast, one-time payments for citizens who sign a contract with the Russian Defense Ministry to participate in the war against Ukraine have been reduced.

In Tatarstan, the amount has been reduced from RUB 3.1 million to 800 thousand, Kommersant reports. This is almost four times less, which significantly reduces the financial motivation for potential combatants.

In Chuvashia, payments were reduced from RUB 2.5 million to 800 thousand. In Mari El – from 3 million to the same amount. In the Belgorod region, which borders Ukraine, they now offer only RUB 500 thousand instead of the previous 800 thousand.

According to the analytical project Re: Russia, in the first half of 2025, federal and regional authorities spent more than RUB 2 trillion on recruiting and supporting the military.

Of this amount, about RUB 400 billion were spent on contract bonuses, 865 billion on salaries, and another 765 billion on compensation to the families of the dead and wounded.

Despite these costs, the number of people willing to serve is declining. According to Vazhnye Istorii, from April to June 2025, only 37.9 thousand people signed a contract, the lowest number in two years. For comparison, in the second quarter of 2024, the number was 92,800.

In the first half of 2025, 127,500 contractors received payments. A year ago – 166.2 thousand. This indicates a decline in the effectiveness of financial incentives that were previously actively used for mobilization.