A year ago, it was so easy for Putin to start a war, partly because human life in Russia is very cheap. Economists Antonio Avila-Uribe (LSE) and Jamilya Nigmatulina (HEC Lausanne) estimated it at 10 million rubles, having studied how much Russians were willing to overpay for air tickets in the first days after the start of mobilization in September 2022. Insurance companies often calculate the subjective “cost of life”.

Putin was able to initiate the war with such ease a year ago as a result of the low value placed on human life in Russia. According to economists Antonio Avila-Uribev (LSE) and Dzhamilya Nigmatulina (HEC Lausanne), who have analysed the price that Russians were willing to pay for air tickets during the days immediately following the announcement of mobilisation in September 2022, a Russian life is worth approximately 10 million rubles.