Russian businesses told to send workers to fight in Ukraine or pay up
The scheme is reportedly being used across Russia (photo: Getty Images)
Regional authorities in Russia are demanding that businesses provide people to fight in the war against Ukraine. Companies unwilling to do so are instead offered the option of paying money, according to TV Rain (Dozhd).
According to the report, TV Rain (Dozhd) obtained the "2026 Plan for the Selection of Candidates for Contract Military Service" for the Muysky District of Buryatia.
The TV channel received the document from a source close to the republic's administration, although the source clarified that the same scheme is being used throughout Russia.
The "plan" specifies how many people work at each company, how many men aged 20 to 60 it employs, and how many of them must be sent to fight in the war against Ukraine.
The source said the scheme works as follows: the head of the Muysky District receives a quota from the republican headquarters, after which the local headquarters distributes the required number of recruits among businesses.
At the same time, businesses that are not prepared to send employees to war are offered the option of signing a contract with a company to "select candidates" for the so-called special military operation. The cost of the service is 100,000 rubles (about $1,300), which is considered a huge amount for local businesses.
In addition, state-funded institutions are also subject to these requirements. In particular, the district hospital is required to provide two employees, despite the shortage of medical personnel in Buryatia.
A businessman from Siberia described an identical scheme. He said employers were first required to provide people for the war back in 2024. Otherwise, businesses were threatened with "inspections."
The source also added that in 2025, a "buyout" scheme appeared. According to him, employers were forced to sign contracts to find candidates to be sent to the war. The service costs 450,000 rubles (about $5,800) per person.
Mobilization in Russia
Recently, the head of Ukraine's Presidential Office, Kyrylo Budanov, said that Russia has no technical obstacles to carrying out a mobilization this year similar to the one conducted in 2022.
According to Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Oleksandr Syrskyi, the Kremlin is unlikely to take such a step now. However, it is most likely to happen after September 20, when elections to Russia's State Duma will be held.
