Russia cancels payments to prisoners who signed contracts and went to war in Ukraine

"The one-time monetary payments will not be made to citizens of the Russian Federation who, on the date of signing a contract for military service in the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation, were serving a prison sentence," the document states.

This decree will take effect on January 1, 2025.

In the fall of 2022, Russian President Vladimir Putin approved one-time payments for those who signed a contract with the Russian Ministry of Defense during the war. By the summer of this year, the amount of the payments for those who signed contracts was increased to 400,000 rubles.

It is also noteworthy that in Russian regions, local payments are added to the state payment, which can reach several million rubles. However, these payments apply to individuals who voluntarily enlist at military recruitment offices, not prisoners.

Mobilization of prisoners in Russia

The mobilization of prisoners in Russia became a widespread practice during the war with Ukraine. Since mid-2022, reports indicated that the Russian authorities, with the support of private military companies, including the Wagner Group, were recruiting prisoners to participate in combat, offering them amnesty, financial rewards, and other privileges.

This practice has faced criticism from human rights defenders, who pointed to violations of human rights and the lack of transparency in the conditions prisoners faced. Many of them died due to insufficient training, and the promises made to them were often not fulfilled.

As recently reported by Ukrainian intelligence, Russia also plans to form assault units composed of prisoners infected with hepatitis B and C.