Archive · 14 Sep 2026
Russia Creates Separate Foreign Recruit Category, Raises Ukraine War Incentives
Russia is offering more money to find soldiers for its war against Ukraine.
The Irkutsk region will pay up to 1.5 million rubles for each foreign citizen or person without a citizenship who joins.
This is about ₹16 lakh.
A new rule creates a special payment category for foreign recruits.
The region had previously offered up to 400,000 rubles for recruiting contract soldiers.
The payment for Russian citizens registered outside the region will rise to 800,000 rubles.
The change comes as Russia continues trying to recruit more soldiers.
The article says the war has caused heavy casualties and infrastructure losses.
Irkutsk Oblast will offer up to 1.5 million rubles, about ₹16 lakh, for each foreign or stateless person recruited to fight for Russia.
The revised incentive was established in a decree signed by Irkutsk Governor Igor Kobzev.
The payment is reportedly the highest offered by any Russian region for recruiting foreign nationals.
Irkutsk previously offered a maximum of 400,000 rubles for contract-soldier recruitment, making the new foreign-recruit payment nearly four times larger.
The decree also doubles the payment for recruiting Russian citizens registered outside Irkutsk Oblast, from 400,000 to 800,000 rubles.
- Who
- The Irkutsk regional government, Governor Igor Kobzev, and potential foreign, stateless, and Russian recruits.
- What
- Irkutsk increased military-recruitment payments and created a separate category for foreign citizens and stateless persons.
- When
- The revised decree was signed earlier this week; the change follows recruitment incentives introduced at least in April.
- Where
- Irkutsk Oblast, Russia, for recruits serving in Russia’s war against Ukraine.
- Why
- Russia is seeking to expand its pool of military recruits as the war continues and has caused heavy casualties and infrastructure losses.
- Foreign-recruit payment
- Up to 1.5 million rubles, approximately ₹16 lakh, per foreign citizen or stateless person recruited.
- Previous maximum payment
- 400,000 rubles for contract-soldier recruitment, according to the report.
- Payment for outside-region Russians
- Increased from 400,000 to 800,000 rubles, approximately $9,500.
- Issuing authority
- A decree signed by Irkutsk Governor Igor Kobzev.
- Foreign-recruit category
- The decree creates a separate category for foreign citizens and stateless persons for the first time.
- Reported regional ranking
- The incentive is reportedly the highest offered by any Russian region for recruiting foreign nationals.