Putin intends to win the war thanks to the poor

The Russian president is seeking to make up for his army’s deficit by increasing salaries and death benefits for his soldiers. A way to attract the most vulnerable in society.

Frederike Holewik / t-online

Russian President Vladimir Putin has faced many problems since the start of the war. Western sanctions have hampered trade and halted energy exports have dried up important sources of revenue. As a result, the value of the ruble fell. Also, arms supply is becoming more complicated.

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But that is not Putin’s biggest problem. His much-needed resource, namely war-motivated soldiers, It’s getting harder to find. At the beginning of the war, the Kremlin announced a “special military operation” with contract soldiers, but soon it was not enough, leading to partial demobilization.

Military poster in St Petersburg: Russian leaders are now promising more money if they go to war against Ukraine.Image: www.imago-images.de

At the time, many Russians feared that a general mobilization would follow. This time, despite the heavy losses of the Russian troops, this did not happen. According to economist and Kremlin critic Vladislav Inozemtsev, Putin is filling gaps in the military through propaganda and financial incentives for young Russians.

Three times the average salary

The economist presents several scenarios of calculations which show that, for young men, service at the front can be a substitute for a whole life, and in the event of death, their families will be better supported than if these men were alive. It’s a perverse rationale, but one that seems to be working for Putin.

By the end of 2022, unqualified workers received a salary of at least 195,000 rubles per month, which at the time corresponded to about 2,900 francs. In May 2023, pamphlets advertised a salary of 220,000 rubles, a 12% increase.

Graves of Wagner’s mercenary dead: Russia is trying to fill gaps in its military by increasing salaries and giving mercenaries special privileges.Image: www.imago-images.de

The comparison with the wages at the beginning of the war is even more striking because Salary increased by more than 500%. At that time, a soldier under contract received between 38,000 and 42,000 rubles, or about 500 francs.

It should be clarified that according to various reports, the average salary in Russia is currently 63,000 rubles per month. This means that an active duty soldier is getting three times the average salary. In the poorest parts of the country, the gap is even wider.

Bonus for death

The Russian president also significantly increased payments to families when a soldier dies. At the beginning of 2022, the relatives received three million rubles, which corresponded to approximately 39,000 francs. A few months later, the surviving parents received a “one-time payment from the president” in the amount of five million rubles (about 48,000 francs).

High salary Don’t please everyone

An example illustrates what these numbers mean to a young Russian. According to Vladislav Inosemtsev, a soldier currently earns 195,000-200,000 rubles a month for five months of military service. So he would collect about a million rubles (nearly 9600 francs) for a war commitment for a few months.

If the soldier dies, his relatives will receive a “one-time payment from the president” of five million rubles, or nearly 48,000 francs. Added to this are insurances for the death of a soldier engaged in hostilities and compensation paid by territorial authorities. In total, the family of the soldier in question will collect 14.8 million rubles or 135,000 francs at current rates.

Vladislav Inosemtsev: The economist sees a sharp increase in players’ salaries as an ominous change in attitude.Image: Imago Pictures

An amount many Russians could only dream of in their lifetime. In regions such as Ivanovo Oblast, the average salary by the end of 2022 will be 35,000 rubles per month. In other regions, including Siberia and the North Caucasus, people earn about 40,000 rubles a month.

To earn more than 14 million rubles in Russia, a person must work for 30 years.

But not all players are happy about the pay hike. Dissatisfaction is particularly high among experienced players, whose salaries are somewhat decent but often less than what new, unqualified recruits should receive. This was reported by Lieutenant Dissertator Dmitry Michov in an interview BBC. According to him, he received 90,000 rubles a month to flee Russia, while his younger colleagues started with 204,000 rubles.

However, it is not certain that the money actually reaches the recruits and their families. Several wives of Russian soldiers told the radio station Radio Free Europe Salary was paid late and sometimes not paid at all. A review of news published on social networks by an independent news agency Verstka It concludes that this phenomenon occurs frequently.

Putin prepares for post-war era

The number of conscripts and soldiers under the treaty is estimated at 400,000 to 450,000. The total annual salary is one thousand billion rubles (about 9.6 billion francs). According to Inosemtsev, this should include an approximately equal amount in the form of compensation for injured or killed soldiers. These two trillion rubles correspond to about 10% of Russian government spending.

Russian leaders do not see this as a problem. On the contrary, more and more privileges are given to the military. For example, government allowances and veterans’ allowances are no longer subject to income tax. Inosemtsev draws the following conclusion:

Translated and adapted from the German by Leon Dietrich

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