Russian Police Incentivize Detainee Recruitment for Ukraine War with Cash Bonuses

Russian police personnel are being incentivized with cash bonuses for each detainee they recruit for military service in Ukraine, as reported by the exiled media outlet Vyorstka on Thursday.

These bonuses, which range from 10,000 to 100,000 rubles (approximately $130 to $1,300) per recruit—varying by region—were implemented after authorities mandated that officers inform detainees aged 18 to 65 that joining the military could help them evade legal troubles, according to police sources cited by Vyorstka.

In numerous instances, the recruitment offer is presented to detainees even before their initial interrogation, as noted by an officer in the Krasnodar region.

This officer indicated that detainees are promised complete legal immunity, salaries exceeding 200,000 rubles ($2,570) per month, benefits for their families, and complimentary education for their children.

If a detainee consents to enlist by signing a military contract, their case is forwarded to a local recruitment office. Once the contract is finalized, legal action is paused, pre-trial detention is lifted, and the criminal case is put on hold.

Investigators in St. Petersburg, where average monthly salaries fall between 40,000 and 60,000 rubles ($510 and $770), can earn an extra 35,000 rubles ($450) for each recruit they send to the front lines, according to a recently ousted police officer who spoke to Vyorstka.

«In reality, an investigator can effectively double their income by recruiting just two individuals in a month,» explained the former officer.

Another informant mentioned that these bonuses have increased since the year’s start.

In St. Petersburg, the bonus now stands at 50,000 rubles ($640); in the broader Leningrad region, it has reached 100,000 rubles ($1,280).

Moscow officers receive 50,000 rubles ($640) for each recruited detainee, funded through a mix of city resources and financial contributions from an undisclosed private entity.

In the Kaluga region, the recruitment bonus has jumped from 10,000 to 60,000 rubles ($130 to $770) in 2024, as disclosed by a district officer to Vyorstka. The Bryansk region offers bonuses between 20,000 and 30,000 rubles ($260 to $390), with officer salaries starting at 38,000 rubles ($490).

According to data from the Interior Ministry examined by Vyorstka, 3,333 detainees across Russia were presented with this option in June alone. Among these, 2,200 declined to enlist, 392 agreed (almost 12%), while 741 cases remained unresolved.

Among those who accepted the enlistment offer, the majority were suspected of theft (139 cases), followed by drug-related charges (53 cases).

Some law enforcement insiders have raised alarms that these new incentives are fostering misconduct within the police force.

In one incident reported by Vyorstka, three officers from the Voronezh region apprehended a man in November 2024 for a minor violation. The man claims he was assaulted, shocked with a stun gun, and coerced into signing a contract with the Defense Ministry. After refusing to comply, he lodged a complaint.

The three officers were arrested on June 26, yet no charges have been filed against them.