- Russian President Vladimir Putin has signed a law allowing Ukraine fighters to write off unpaid debts worth up to $100,000
- The law applies to those who sign a one-year contract to fight in Ukraine after December 1
- The legislation covers debts where a court order for collection was issued and enforcement proceedings began before December 1, 2024
- The total amount of unpaid debt that can be covered is 10 million rubles, around $96,000 at current rates
- The law is expected to be a strong motivation for some to join up, as Russia seeks new ways to recruit fighters for the nearly three-year conflict
Russian President Vladimir Putin has signed a law that allows those who sign up to fight in Ukraine to write off unpaid debts worth almost $100,000. The new legislation will be a strong motivation for some to join up, experts said, as Russia seeks new ways to recruit fighters for the nearly three-year conflict grinding through troops.
The law applies to those who sign a one-year contract to fight in Ukraine after December 1 and covers their spouses. It concerns debts where a court order for collection was issued and enforcement proceedings began before December 1, 2024. The total amount of unpaid debt that can be covered is 10 million rubles, around $96,000 at current rates.
According to Sergei Krivenko of advocacy group Citizen Army Law, the new legislation applies to those who are conscripted for national service and those mobilized for the so-called “special military operation”. Conscripts cannot be sent to the front line but can choose to sign a contract to join the professional army and be sent to fight in Ukraine.
