Russia is inflating the true number of new contract soldiers it is recruiting by one-and-a-half times, according to a joint investigation by Important Stories and the Conflict Intelligence Team (CIT) published on Aug. 1.
The Russian Defense Ministry announced in December that there were 640,000 soldiers serving under contract.
But citing data from Russian federal budget expenditures, Important Stories and CIT said only 426,000 Russians had received a one-time payment for signing a contract during the period from autumn 2022 to April 2024.
According to the outlets, this leaves a discrepancy of around 214,000 which cannot be accounted for by variations in how one-time payments are given out.
They also cited an anonymous source who claimed that in some regions of Russia, only 50-60% of recruitment targets were being met.
Russian dictator Vladimir Putin on July 31 ordered an increase in the sign-on bonus for new military recruits to serve in Ukraine to 400,000 rubles (over $4,600).
The presidential decree published on the government website effectively doubled the lump-sum payment of 195,000 ($2,260) rubles initially promised to recruits in September 2022.
Russia seeks new soldiers for its war as the full-scale invasion continues to take a heavy toll on its military's manpower.
All Russian citizens and foreigners who signed up for one-year service between Aug. 1 and the end of 2024 will be eligible for the increased bonus.
The document says that the payment is intended to provide "additional means of social support" for soldiers and their families. It also recommends that Russian occupation authorities in Ukraine offer an additional sum of 400,000 rubles.
Regional authorities across Russia have already begun offering other financial incentives for potential recruits.
Chris York
(Updated: )
