The pace of recruitment for the Russian military in 2024 has increased at least six times compared to 2023. This was highlighted by "Important Stories," which examined federal budget expenditure data.
In the first six months of the current year, 166,200 people signed contracts with the Ministry of Defense, while in 2023, only 26,700 Russians signed up for contract service during the same period—six times fewer than in 2024. These figures may not accurately reflect the number of new contract soldiers, as delays in payments can result in some individuals being recorded in the statistics for the following quarter, the publication notes.
Russian authorities, hoping to recruit as much "cannon fodder" as possible for the war in Ukraine, raised the contract signing bonuses last summer. As a result, the average regional payment has increased fourfold since the beginning of the year and, including the federal component, now reaches 1 million rubles.
After Vladimir Putin doubled the one-time payment for signing a contract with the Ministry of Defense to 400,000 rubles at the end of July, 47 Russian regions also increased their contributions. The average regional payment now amounts to 596,000 rubles, which is 3.6 times higher than at the end of last year (168,000 rubles). In 15 regions, the regional payment has reached one million rubles or more. In Moscow, St. Petersburg, and Karachay-Cherkessia, new contract soldiers will receive a total of up to 2 million rubles, including federal payments.
From July 2023 to June 2024, payments to participants in the invasion of Ukraine, including payments for injuries and deaths, amounted to a total of 3 trillion rubles. This is nearly a third of Russia’s record military budget since Soviet times, which totals 10.8 trillion rubles, as well as about 8% of the federal budget and approximately 1.5% of Russia’s GDP.
