Putin signs law granting debt relief to Russian recruits

Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a law on Monday providing significant debt relief for new military recruits and their spouses, a measure designed to bolster troop numbers for the ongoing conflict in Ukraine. The law forgives unpaid debts of up to 10 million rubles, approximately $140,000, for any Russian citizen who signs a contract for at least one year of service in Ukraine after May 1 of this year.

The debt exemption applies only to loans issued before the contract is signed and requires that a court ruling on debt collection is already in force or that enforcement proceedings have begun. The bill had been passed by Russia’s parliament earlier in the month. This initiative is the latest in a series of economic incentives the government has introduced to attract volunteers without resorting to another mandatory mobilization, which has proven politically sensitive.

In September 2022, a partial mobilization order for roughly 300,000 reservists triggered protests and prompted thousands of Russian men to flee the country. Since then, authorities have gradually increased sign-on bonuses and offered high baseline salaries to sustain recruitment. The federal minimum sign-on...