St. Petersburg cuts military enlistment bonus to 400,000 rubles in second reduction in a month
St. Petersburg authorities have cut the city-funded one-time payment for people who sign contracts with the Defense Ministry to 400,000 rubles, Fontanka reported.
The St. Petersburg authorities have reduced the city-funded military enlistment bonus from 800,000 rubles to 400,000 rubles, marking the second reduction in a month, according to a report by Fontanka. Journalists confirmed the figure at various military service information centers and through the general hotline. While there is a potential for an additional 600,000 rubles for drone operators, the exact amount remains uncertain as the information provided changes daily.
The discrepancy in the payment amount was previously reported at 800,000 rubles. This reduction follows a steep cut in September when the city-funded one-time payment was slashed from 3.5 million to 1 million rubles. The information on the city administration's website has also been updated, retaining the exception for drone force enlistment at 3.5 million rubles.
Reports from October 6 indicated that advertisements with the old payment amounts started disappearing from municipal websites and streets. Amid Russia's escalating military spending, some regions are cutting death benefits for soldiers' families by up to 95%. A Russian IT worker who joined the army to 'benefit society' and was promised a job operating drones is now missing in Ukraine, with his family suspecting his commanders of stealing his money.
Despite steady military recruitment numbers, the sustainability of regional military budgets remains a concern, as explored by Meduza researcher Janis Kluge.
Written by urgent.news from Meduza (English)'s reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
