“Сannon fodder” price: kremlin is draining budgets of russian regions
Despite the deepening crisis in regional budgets in russia, the kremlin is demanding that local authorities increase payments for signing contracts with the ministry of defense.
In an attempt to attract new contract soldiers, the regions have organized a veritable “auction of death.” In the khanty-mansiysk region, one-time payments have been raised to a record 4.1 million rubles ($51,250), in dagestan, payments reach 3.6-4.1 million rubles ($45-51,250), in karachay-cherkessia – 3.1 million rubles ($38,750), and in the smolensk region – 2.1 million rubles ($26,250). Due to a lack of people willing to go to war, some regions have even introduced rewards for recruiters.
Against the backdrop of enormous losses in the war, the flow of “volunteers” is decreasing. However, the kremlin refuses to curb its mobilization ambitions and demands that the regions entice people into the army with money, to their own detriment. Due to a lack of funds, russian regions are forced to abandon social programs, the development of education and healthcare, and the repair of infrastructure.
russia will pay a high price for this policy: the destruction of regional economies, combined with a demographic catastrophe, will have long-term and irreversible consequences.
