Russia to reclaim soldier bonuses for legal violations

Soldiers who sign at least a one-year contract to fight in what Moscow terms a "special military operation" receive a minimum one-off payment of 400,000 roubles ($4,640). These payouts can reach several million roubles depending on the region, in addition to monthly salaries. Russia has also been offering sentence reductions for prisoners who enlist.

The draft law, published recently, aims to "increase the motivation of military personnel to comply with the law" by requiring active contract service members found guilty of a criminal offense that does not result in a prison sentence to repay a portion of their bonus. The amount to be repaid would be calculated based on the remaining months of their service.

While Russia does not officially release statistics on domestic violence committed by its service personnel, independent media outlets, citing data from military courts, have reported hundreds of such cases, including murders, since the beginning of the 2022 invasion.