In Moscow, the flow of people wishing to go to war with Ukraine has decreased several times compared to the peak values of last fall, learned «Verstka»*. The composition of the recruits has also changed—volunteers have been replaced by foreigners and individuals involved in criminal and administrative cases.
According to sources in the city hall, about 40 people are currently sent to war daily, whereas in the fall this figure exceeded 250 people.
The city authorities pay a one-time amount of 1.9 million rubles for signing a contract. This is no longer the leading figure in the country, but it still ranks in the top 10. The record holders for regional payments are the Samara region (3.6 million rubles), Yamal (3.1 million rubles), as well as the Belgorod and Nizhny Novgorod regions, where 3 million rubles are paid for signing a contract with the Ministry of Defense.
In Moscow, 1.9 million rubles attract fewer and fewer Russian volunteers and more and more citizens of China and African countries, two sources in the city hall told «Verstka». They are warned at the points not to say they were at war, as many countries prosecute for mercenary activities. The main motivation for foreign volunteers is the money they can earn by participating in the war with Ukraine.
The flow of volunteers from the CIS remains stable. They have a different motivation to fight with Ukraine as part of the Ministry of Defense. «All the near abroad talks about citizenship», — says a source in the city hall.
As the publication writes, another category of those wishing to sign a contract has also grown—defendants and accused in criminal and administrative cases. Among them, as sources specify, those against whom administrative cases are being considered in courts or enforcement proceedings have been initiated due to debts dominate.
* Recognized as a «foreign agent» in Russia.