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Participation in the military operations against Ukraine has become an opportunity for men from Russia's regions to quickly improve their financial situation—pay off loans and debts, pay off mortgages... It depends. The money the state currently offers those going to war seems unimaginable compared to average regional salaries. It's hard to imagine the average Russian man earning more than 200 rubles a month in the provinces. But in war, it's a reality. Trying to postpone a new mobilization as an unpopular measure, the Russian government is trying to drown the problem with money. For now, it's available.

Moreover, the pay for war veterans varies greatly across different regions. Sometimes, the amounts of so-called regional payments vary dramatically. NeMoskva investigated how much the regions pay those who are sent to kill on foreign soil.

Initially, the Ministry of Defense planned a “small victorious war,” and the category of those who went to Ukraine was essentially one - contract soldier. 

Conscripts, at least according to government statements, weren't sent to war. It soon became clear that the blitzkrieg plan had failed, and the war required more cannon fodder. New categories emerged: mobilized and volunteers. How do the three categories that exist today differ from each other?

Contractor — This is perhaps the most clearly defined category of war participants. A potential soldier signs a contract with the Russian Ministry of Defense and commits to fight until the end of hostilities. Their participation in the war is entirely their personal choice and responsibility.

A slightly different story mobilizedThese "defenders" were called to war by the state. But otherwise, the conditions of their participation in military operations against Ukraine are very similar to those of contract soldiers. They, too, will fight until the end of the "SVO." 

But there is also a third category - volunteers (members of volunteer formations). As explained on regional government websites, "unlike mobilized and contract soldiers, they are not considered military personnel." Volunteers' service is limited to the duration of their contract. The minimum term of such a contract is one year.

Volunteers are entitled to some of the same benefits as military personnel: food and clothing supplies, medical care, the right to free travel, and the opportunity to obtain the status of a combat veteran.

Thus, this category currently appears the most attractive for those looking to make a quick buck. There's the opportunity to leave the "battlefield" after a year and still receive a lump sum payment from both the Ministry of Defense and the regional government. To be fair, the likelihood of dying within a year isn't zero either. "NotMoscow" Wrote about the Alga battalion, which was sent to storm the Ugledar Without reconnaissance or artillery support, 27 men left the battlefield alive, the same number died, according to the Ministry of Defense, and the rest were missing in action. 

1. One-time payment from the Ministry of DefenseAll three categories of soldiers fighting in Ukraine are entitled to a one-time payment from the Ministry of Defense. Sign a contract and receive it. 195 thousand rublesTo receive payment, the contract must be signed for a period of 1 year or more!

2. Monthly salaryFor those fighting in Ukraine, it depends on military rank, position, and length of service. But it won't be lower for everyone. 204 thousand per month. 

3. Regional paymentsThis is where things get interesting. These, let's call them, bonuses are left to the discretion of regional authorities, and the amounts paid vary greatly from region to region.

NeMoskva obtained data from 82 Russian regions. The full table can be found here. here.

The undisputed leader in all three categories is Putin’s hometown – St. PetersburgThere, the governor announced a unified approach to all three categories: contract soldiers, mobilized soldiers, volunteers, and anyone who would go to war from St. Petersburg. get 500 rubles each from regional authorities. Such preferential treatment for those fighting in Ukraine is not offered anywhere else.

Let's look at regional payments by category in several other regions. Just like in St. Petersburg, they're paying out half a million rubles at a time. unfastened regional authorities contract soldiers в Khanty-Mansi Autonomous Okrug.

В Moscow Region - 400 thousand, in Nenets и Chukotka autonomous districts, Murmansk, Leningrad region и Krasnoyarsk Krai They will pay 300 thousand.

mobilized most due в Chukotka, Yamal-Nenets, Nenets Autonomous Okrug and Sakhalin Oblast. There pay 300 thousand each. 250 - in Transbaikal Territory, 200 each Karelia и Kemerovo region .

Volunteers they will pay 300 thousand each Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous Okrug, Chukotka и Nenets Autonomous Okrug. 

260 thousands rubles will be paid in Republic of Tatarstan, in the Transbaikal District - 250 thousand.

Given that according to Rosstat data, the average monthly salary in St. Petersburg is 76,259 rubles, in the Moscow region 64,041 rubles, in the Murmansk region - 76,000, in the Leningrad region - 52,749, in the Krasnoyarsk region - 60,000, the motivation is clear.

It must be said that the regions listed above are among the top ten regions with the highest salary ratings in Russia.

Contract soldiers in Chuvashia, Chelyabinsk, Saratov, will receive a one-time payment of 50 rubles. This is almost 5 times less than in the regions with the highest payouts.

Mobilized from Ivanovskaya, Kostroma, Kurgan, Lipetsk Orenburg, Pskov, Samara, Saratov, Chelyabinsk region and republics Mari El и Udmurtia A one-time payment of 50 rubles will be made. This is six times less than in the regions with the highest payouts.

The list of minimum payments to mobilized personnel unexpectedly included MoscowBut this is a special case. By decree of the Moscow mayor, those whom the state sent to fight from the capital, will receive 50 rubles each, not a lump sum, but monthly. Therefore, if a mobilized soldier from Moscow survives for ten months, the regional payments from Sobyanin will take first place. But that's a matter of timing.

Monthly payments have also been assigned to those mobilized from Kabardino-Balkaria. However, it is exactly two times less than in the capital. Authorities will they be paid 25 thousand rubles each.

The volunteers were unlucky in Chuvashia и Stavropol Territory, and so in Chelyabinsk, Saratov, Orenburg, Lipetsk, Kostroma, Ivanovo region и UdmurtiaThere, "volunteer defenders" will receive the same 50 rubles from the regions as mobilized personnel. And yet, it's also six times less than in the regions with the highest payouts.

There are regions where regional payments are not available at all: North Ossetia, Mordovia, Yakutia, Sverdlovsk region, Khakassia, Dagestan and the region with the highest unemployment rate in the country - Ingushetia.

“It seems somehow indecent when people who are standing next to each other, perhaps in a trench covering each other or pulling the wounded from the battlefield, receive different payments from different regions,” сказал Putin on June 13 at a meeting with war correspondents. 

“I know about this problem,” he added, “I have already spoken about it many times at different levels, but it is quite difficult to achieve alignment.”

The president also lamented that federal authorities cannot directly dictate to regions how much to pay, but can recommend choosing "some general standard and approach." 

So far, the regions have not developed a “common standard and approach.”

And if we add up all the existing payments in all three categories—contract soldiers, mobilized soldiers, and volunteers—we see the top 5 regions that spend the largest amounts on incentives for SVO participants.

It is a — Saint Petersburg, Chukotka and Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous Okrugs, Transbaikal and Khabarovsk Krais.

Three of these five regions are among the top ten regions with the highest wages in the country. In the Chukotka Autonomous Okrug, the average monthly salary is 130,000 rubles, in the Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous Okrug it is 116,000, and in the aforementioned St. Petersburg, it is just over 76,000.

In no region of Russia does the average monthly salary exceed the average salary received by those fighting in Ukraine.

If we compare the quality of life ratings in Russian regions (RIA Novosti's annual rating) with the payout rating for those fighting against Ukraine, we see that the most profitable places to go fight are from Moscow and St. Petersburg. Life is good there, and the war pays well. There's one caveat: if a "defender" is going from Moscow to earn a fortune, they should try to stay alive for more than ten months. The regional payment in Moscow isn't a one-time one-time payment.

But even in this regard, Muscovites are doing much better than those living in the provinces. If we look at mortality rate In the war with Ukraine, we see that it is lowest for residents of the capital; Muscovites have a significantly higher chance of survival than, for example, residents of Buryatia, Tuva, and North Ossetia.

The second place in the mortality rating is occupied by the same leader – Saint Petersburg.

Residents of St. Petersburg die significantly less often than, for example, Ossetians. The latter also lack any regional benefits.

So, the residents of the two Russian capitals live well, receive a lot of money for the war, but their chances of returning home in a zinc coffin are significantly lower than those of residents of the regions.

To be fair, it should be noted that the leaders in payments—the Chukotka Autonomous Okrug and the Zabaykalsky Krai—actually rank at the bottom of the quality of life rankings, in 70th and 82nd place, respectively.

Incentives for those fighting are not limited to one-time and regional payments, as well as monthly salaries. 

Each region sets its own compensation for injuries, ranging from one million rubles (the Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous Okrug provides this amount for a serious injury) to 300 rubles (the same amount for a serious injury in Kabardino-Balkaria). 

In a number of regions, for example in the Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous Okrug, families of SVO participants get 300 thousand rubles for gasification.

But in Rostov region, Bashkiria, Krasnodar region, Tatarstan In Yugra, the authorities will allocate three times less, 100 thousand, for compensation for gas connections.

Participants in the war against Ukraine in the Tyumen region were slightly more fortunate, receiving 130 rubles in reimbursement for their expenses. In the Tver region, this amount will be up to 150 rubles.

 In Crimea, participants in the military operations against Ukraine will be allocated land plots by the sea. 

While there is no sea in the Kirov region, SVO participants and their family members will be able to attend cultural events free of charge "at institutions under the jurisdiction of the regional Ministry of Culture." 

Children of war veterans from St. Petersburg will be able to ride public transport for free – they have received permanent passes.

Additional incentive payments are being introduced in the regions, not only by governments but also by companies. For example, employees of PAO KAMAZ, participants in the "SVO," receive 50 rubles monthly. Furthermore, they are promised job security. Well, if there are people to keep them, of course.

RossetiLenenergo has also decided to offer incentives to combat veterans. Employees who sign contracts with the Ministry of Defense are being promised half a million rubles. An advertisement to this effect has been posted in the company's office.

Having become involved in the war, the Russian authorities misjudged its duration and the necessary human resources.

An attempt to remedy the situation with “partial mobilization” resulted in increased political and social tension, which the Kremlin is trying to avoid by all means possible.

The problem of "cannon fodder" is being mitigated with money from the federal and regional budgets, as well as money from businesses, which have long been unable to refuse the government anything, because Russian property is a derivative of Russian power.

However, money in Russia is distributed extremely unevenly across regions. The war demonstrates this once again.

It is more profitable to live, kill and die if you live in Moscow or St. Petersburg.

The war in Ukraine is colonial not only in relation to Ukraine, but also in relation to Russian regions.