(Bloomberg) -- President Vladimir Putin ordered officials to double a bonus for people willing to join Russia’s war in Ukraine, offering fresh evidence that the military is struggling to meet recruitment targets.
New recruits to the army will receive a one-time payment of 400,000 rubles (around $4,600) until the end of the year, according to a presidential order published Wednesday. Putin also called on regional authorities to match the federal government payment, which was previously set at 195,000 rubles.
Read: Moscow Offers Record $22,000 for Russians to Fight in Ukraine
Russia’s military has incurred huge casualties since Putin ordered the February 2022 invasion of Ukraine, with Western estimates putting the numbers killed or wounded at as high as 500,000. An accelerating pay race among Russia’s regions to persuade people to join up has added to labor shortages in the overheating economy, prompting businesses to hike salaries to compete.
©2024 Bloomberg L.P.
