Putin Slashes Soldiers' Payouts as Russia's Losses in Ukraine Skyrocket
Brendan Cole | Nov 14, 2024 at 10:35 AM ESTRussia will reduce payments to troops injured in Vladimir Putin's full-scale invasion of Ukraine as his government faces ballooning war costs and huge personnel losses.
A Kremlin decree introduced Wednesday and signed by the Russian president restricts medical payouts of 3 million rubles ($30,000) to those who suffer severe injuries in combat.
Previously the sum was available to anyone wounded. Now those with less severe injuries will only get between one million rubles ($10,000) and 100,000 rubles ($1,000).
Under the Kremlin's new guidelines, soldiers will only receive full compensation if they suffer "Section I" injuries that endanger their life or health or cause significant damage to their organs, such as severe spinal injuries, brain damage, rib fractures and broken limbs.
Less severe or "Section II" injuries warranting $10,000 compensation are temporary wounds such as, concussions, minor fractures and gunshot wounds that don't affect organs. Newsweek has contacted the Russian defense ministry for comment.
Legislation introduced at the start of the war in March 2022 entitling the families of those killed in the war to 7.4 million rubles ($75,000) compensation remains in place. . .
https://www.newsweek.com/russia-ukraine-war-troops-losses-1985722