Russian Defense Ministry to propose delaying troop salary payments, media reports
The Joint Group of Forces, the command currently fighting in Ukraine, would be exempted from the rule and receive their December pay before the new year, Verstka said.
According to a draft order by Russia's Defense Ministry, December salary payments for troops not involved in the conflict in Ukraine are set to be delayed into January 2027, according to an independent Russian outlet Verstka. Typically, December payments are issued by December 25, and soldiers receive their salary between the 10th and 20th of each month, a rule adopted in 2019, Verstka reported.
The draft proposes moving these payments between January 11 and 21 of the following year. However, the Joint Group of Forces, comprising fighters currently engaged in the Ukrainian war, would be exempted from this rule and receive their December pay before the new year, as per the draft. Contract soldiers' December bonuses would also be paid in December, suggesting that payment schedules for combat units remain unchanged, Verstka noted.
If adopted, this order would take effect this year, marking the first such change in at least 18 years, according to Verstka, pointing to ministry orders from 2011 and 2008. The practice may even extend back to the Soviet era, citing a Soviet State Bank instruction issued in 1986. The draft lacks a stated reason for the change. Meanwhile, Bloomberg reported that Russia's full-year deficit is expected to widen to 7.3 trillion rubles ($89.9 billion), or about 3.2% of the country's GDP, an increase from a deficit of about 2.2% in September, driven by increased spending due to Russia's war against Ukraine.
Written by urgent.news from Kyiv Independent's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
