Russia Seeks Bonus Repayments from Convicted Soldiers

Russia’s Defense Ministry wants to recover part of the one-time recruitment bonus paid to contract soldiers who are convicted of criminal offenses, according to a draft law published on Monday.

The measure comes amid a rise in domestic violence cases involving military personnel returning home from the war in Ukraine.

Russia offers a minimum one-time payment of 400,000 rubles – approximately $4,640 – to soldiers who sign a contract of at least one year. Depending on the region, however, payments can reach several million rubles. Soldiers also receive a monthly salary.

If an active-duty contract soldier is convicted of a criminal offense that does not carry a prison sentence, he would have to repay a portion of the bonus based on the number of months remaining in his service. The ministry says the measure is intended to increase soldiers’ motivation to comply with the law.

Moscow is seeking to bolster the size of its military through various incentives. It is also reducing prison sentences for convicted criminals in exchange for signing up to fight in the war.

Russia does not publish official data on domestic violence committed by members of its armed forces. However, since the start of the invasion in 2022, independent media citing military court data have reported hundreds of cases, including murders.

(Reuters, bak)