Russian President Putin has approved a new debt relief measure for citizens who sign new military contracts to fight in Ukraine.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has approved a new debt relief measure for citizens who sign new military contracts to fight in Ukraine, adding to the financial incentives Moscow has used to sustain recruitment as the war continues.
According to Reuters, Russian citizens who sign a contract with the Defense Ministry from May 1 onward, along with their spouses, can have overdue debts of up to 10 million rubles ($139,700) written off.
Additional details reported by RBC Ukraine indicated the benefit applies only to those signing contracts of at least one year.
Eligible debt must have been incurred before enlistment, and the write-off applies only where formal debt collection had already entered the enforcement stage, such as after a court ruling or the issuance of a collection order.
Filling the Ranks
Moscow has increasingly turned to incentives and more targeted recruitment efforts, avoiding large-scale mobilization campaigns that in the past sparked protests and prompted military-age men to leave the country.
That recruitment push has widened in recent months, with reports indicating universities are being used as a new channel for contract enlistment.
Students facing academic debt or possible expulsion have reportedly been encouraged to join units such as drone operators, presented as more technical and lower-risk than frontline infantry, although contracts can still allow reassignment to combat roles.
According to figures cited by the Kyiv Independent, universities were asked to help direct 76,000 students toward military service.
Earlier this month, a 23-year-old Russian student became the first publicly known fatality linked to the campaign.
Financial incentives remain central to the strategy.
In 2024, Moscow reportedly offered signing bonuses of up to 1.9 million rubles ($22,000) to recruits, alongside monthly payments of roughly 433,000 rubles ($5,000) during the first year of service, in addition to defense ministry pay and bonuses.
