Russia is cutting social benefits to increase pay for contract soldiers

In the first quarter of this year, the rate of recruitment of Russian citizens into contract military service slowed significantly and has fallen short of the targets set by the Ministry of Defense of the aggressor country. 

This was reported by the Foreign Intelligence Service of Ukraine, according to the UNN news agency. According to the agency, in the first three months of the year, the Russian command managed to recruit about 70,500 people. The daily influx of volunteers has dropped to 800–930 people per day, whereas last year this figure stood at 1,200 people, with a required target of over 1,100.

To compensate for the manpower shortage, the Kremlin is intensifying covert mobilization, using financial pressure and new incentives:

• Increased regional payments: more than forty Russian regions have raised one-time payments for new recruits by 30–100%, and in some regions—even by 200–500% compared to the end of last year. To finance these expenditures, local authorities are forced to drastically cut funding for public utilities and social programs.

• Debt forgiveness: The State Duma passed a law guaranteeing full cancellation of overdue loans for combatants and their spouses. According to SVR estimates, one in four adult Russian citizens is potentially eligible for this incentive.

• Administrative coercion: large commercial enterprises have been mandated to meet quotas for sending employees to the front lines. Additionally, regional and technical higher education institutions have received strict directives to ensure that at least 2% of all male students sign contracts with the military.

Ukrainian intelligence sources emphasize that despite the significant increase in the cost of each soldier to the state budget, the announcement of open general mobilization in Russia remains an unlikely step at this time. However, in the event of a further systematic decline in voluntary enlistment rates, the Russian authorities will be forced to revisit this issue in practical terms.

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