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Russia’s War Creates ‘Caste System’ Valuing Soldiers Unequally by Region
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![Photo of Roman Kohanets]( "Photo of Roman Kohanets")
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Russia’s military recruitment financial incentives are being slashed in some regions and increased in others, reflecting widening fiscal strain and signaling a growing regional disparity in how the Kremlin values human lives. This is according to the statement of the Ukrainian Main Intelligence Directorate (HUR) published on August 15.
According to HUR, one-time bonuses for individuals signing contracts with the Russian armed forces have been sharply reduced in certain territories:
in Bashkortostan, the bonus dropped from about $17,350 to $10,830;
in the Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous region, it fell from $33,600 to $20,500;
in Belgorod region, from $32,550 to just $8,680;
in Nizhny Novgorod region, from $32,550 to $16,270.
Meanwhile, several other regions have raised recruitment bonuses:
in Tatarstan, the amount was increased to $33,600;
in Ryazan region, officials pledged an increase of $10,830 over previous levels;
in Kabardino-Balkaria, the payment was raised from $16,270 to $19,500.
HUR’s assessment underscores that a “caste system” is taking shape in Russia, wherein the lives of soldiers are valued unevenly based on their region of origin.
This shift in payouts reflects mounting economic pressures on the Russian Federation. From January through July 2025, the budget deficit soared to approximately $61 billion, nearly four times higher than the planned $14.6 billion. Key contributing factors include declining revenue from oil and gas, shortfalls in tax collection, and rapidly rising military expenditures.
Earlier, it was reported that Russia introduced elevated enlistment payments—including increased bonuses and deployment allowances—with Vladimir Putin urging regional governments to match or exceed federal payouts.
