Putin and regions index payments to new recruits by 2-10 times. All this against the backdrop of a catastrophic shortage of manpower at the front

The minimum payment for new contract soldiers may soon increase to 800 thousand rubles

On the morning of July 31, Putin signed a decree that will raise the federal payment for joining the Russian army from 195,000 to 400,000 rubles. Although the measure is in place until the end of this year, there is no indication that it will not be extended.

At the same time, Putin “recommended” that the heads of the constituent entities of the Russian Federation establish the payment from the regional budget at least at the same level – 400 thousand rubles.

If all regions follow this “recommendation,” the minimum reward for sending to war will be 800,000 rubles. Back in March, when “Important Stories” was calculating the growth rate of regional payments, only residents of the Moscow Region and the Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous Okrug could count on this amount.

In the last few days alone, payments to contract soldiers have increased 3-7 times in three Russian regions. In Stavropol Krai and Volgograd Oblast, they exceeded 1 million rubles without taking into account the federal budget supplement. Journalists from 7x7 drew attention to this.

Immediately after Putin’s decree was issued, the press service of the governor of the Saratov region reported a tenfold increase in remuneration – from 50 to 500 thousand rubles.

The authorities are using the increase in payments for those wishing to go to war in conjunction with other measures. Verstka previously found out that the authorities of at least nine regions have introduced a referral program to attract new contract soldiers. Recruiters receive from 5 to 100 thousand rubles for attracting one “friend”.

Russia is currently in dire need of manpower at the front, Z-blogger Yuri Kotenok pointed out the day before. "It is clear why there is a slowdown," he commented on the advance of the Russian army. "There are no people. The level of losses is high."

Recently, Russian troops made their largest assault attempt since March. The command sent fighters to Ukrainian positions in the Kurakhovo direction through minefields and with the Ukrainian Armed Forces' superiority in drones. Dozens of units of equipment and up to 150 fighters were lost.

"Voyenkor" Kotenok talks about similar problems all along the front line: the army lacks mid-level commanders, the wounded and killed are not carried off the battlefield, and in assaults Russian soldiers are dying from the use of a wide range of different UAVs by the Ukrainian Armed Forces, which the Russian Armed Forces do not have.