‘Black widows’: Women accused of marrying Russian army recruits to claim death payouts
St. Petersburg, Russia — When Maria was told by the Russian military that her 59-year-old father had been shot on the front lines of the Ukraine war and had later died of his wounds, she was distraught and doubly shocked. Not only was she unaware that her dad, Yury, had enlisted in the army, she was … The post ‘Black widows’: Women accused of marrying Russian army recruits to claim death payouts…
In St. Petersburg, Russia, Maria, a 37-year-old woman, is devastated after receiving news that her father, Yury, a 59-year-old man, enlisted in the military and married a 22-year-old woman just days before being sent to fight in Ukraine. Confused and shocked, Maria, who had never met or heard of this woman, suspects the union to be a scam.
The bride, whose identity is being withheld for privacy, automatically becomes Yury's legal next of kin, entitling her to official compensation from the Russian military, which ranges from 5 million rubles ($64,000) to other sums for next of kin in the event of a soldier's death. Russian officials and state media have labeled these deceitful individuals as "black widows," exploiting the military payout system by arranging sham marriages with soldiers before they are killed in battle.
Reports of such cases have surged recently, with one notable incident involving a nurse accused of marrying five soldiers to collect their death benefits. This exploitation is heightening public outrage in Russia, a nation grappling with the economic repercussions of the ongoing war in Ukraine. Many are calling for a crackdown on these criminals, accusing them of preying on vulnerable soldiers and their families during a time of immense hardship and loss.
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