Russian region offers record $18,000 reward for recruiting foreigners to fight in Ukraine

Key Points:

• Siberia’s Irkutsk Oblast has increased payments to recruiters of foreign nationals into the Russian military to 1.5 million rubles ($17,800), the highest reward offered by any Russian region, as per a Sept. 11 report by Vyorstka.
• The new decree, signed by Governor Igor Kobzev, also introduces a separate payment category for foreign nationals and stateless persons and doubles payments for recruiting Russian citizens registered outside Irkutsk Oblast to 800,000 rubles ($9,500).
• Other Russian regions, including Smolensk and Ryazan Oblasts, have similarly raised recruiter incentives amid Moscow’s efforts to bolster manpower for its war in Ukraine.
• Ukraine’s Coordination Headquarters reported that over 28,000 foreign nationals from 136 countries are fighting in the Russian military, with Amnesty International highlighting coercive and deceptive recruitment practices targeting these recruits.
• Amnesty International has documented abuses such as confiscation of passports, restricted movement, inadequate training, and threats against recruits, concluding that Russia’s recruitment methods often amount to human trafficking.