In some Russian regions, more than half of the money set aside for social welfare is now going to soldiers
Russian regions are raising contract sign-on bonuses in a bid to draw more people into the war effort. These payments are now coming from regional social welfare agencies that, in peacetime, primarily supported orphans, large families, veterans, people with disabilities, and other vulnerable groups. A new investigation from the independent outlet iStories found more than half of the social welfare budget in some regions is now going to soldiers or their families. Meduza shares key insights from the outlet’s findings in English.
As Russia’s full-scale war against Ukraine stretches far its third year, regional governments are funneling an average of 13 percent of their social welfare budgets into sign-on bonuses for new contract soldiers, iStories reports. When factoring in compensation for injuries and regional death benefits for soldiers’ families, nearly a quarter (23 percent) of social spending in Russian regions is now going to war participants.
In some regions, every second ruble earmarked for social support goes to soldiers and the families of the fallen. In certain areas, this allocation even exceeds half of the entire social budget. Over a third of Russia’s regions (35 percent) now allocate at least a quarter of welfare funds to war-related payments. In three regions — Stavropol Krai, the Karachay-Cherkess Republic, and Kaluga — less than half of the funds set aside for social spending remain for other residents in need.
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Stavropol Krai leads the nation in the proportion of social welfare funds directed to war participants. Contract soldiers, wounded veterans, and the families of the deceased have received 83 percent of all social payments, according to regional data. In 2024, the region allocated 10 billion rubles ($102 million) for those fighting in Ukraine, with 8 billion rubles ($81.6 million) already distributed. Most of these funds cover compensation for injuries and death, but one-fifth of all social spending in the region (2 billion rubles, or $20.4 million) has gone to sign-on bonuses for new contract soldiers.
In 2024, those fighting in Ukraine are receiving more support than any other group in Stavropol Krai. Payments for contract soldiers are 12 times higher than those for orphans and six times higher than the support provided to unemployed residents. The sign-on bonus for soldiers, at 1.6 million rubles ($16,318), is among the highest in Russia. iStories noted that Stavropol Krai struggled with contract recruitment over the summer, ultimately mobilizing more people than it attracted to contract service.
In the Karachay-Cherkess Republic, 75 percent of all social payments in 2024 went to war participants and the families of fallen soldiers. Of that, 63 percent — 845 million rubles ($8.6 million) — was allocated to one-time payments for mobilized troops and contract soldiers, the highest share in any Russian region. This amount is nine times what was set aside for unemployment support and thirty times more than what was paid to doctors, including those who relocated to rural areas.
In Kaluga, half of all social spending (52 percent) was directed to war participants and the families of the deceased. Most of this money went to the wounded and to bereaved families. Contract soldiers, who receive a sign-on bonus of 600,000 rubles ($6,120) from the regional budget, accounted for 16 percent (397 million rubles, or about $4 million) of all social welfare payments. This is 17 times more than what was given to people with disabilities, including children, and seven times more than housing support for large families in need.
These figures underscore the Russian government’s clear prioritization of war participants, a policy repeatedly emphasized by both regional and federal officials. Yet these payments represent only a fraction of regions’ overall war-related spending. While the total amount is difficult to determine, Novaya Gazeta Europe reported that regional war expenses in 2024 alone are estimated at over 800 billion rubles ($8.2 billion) — an amount comparable to the combined annual budgets of Tatarstan and Krasnoyarsk Krai.
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