Russian President Vladimir Putin has signed a decree granting debt relief of up to 10 million rubles (approximately €120,000) to new military recruits as Moscow continues efforts to bolster its armed forces amid the invasion of Ukraine. The decree, signed on Monday, covers recruits who signed a contract after May 1 this year, as well as their spouses.

To qualify for the debt exemption, the contract with the army must be for at least one year and must involve “fulfilling the tasks of the special military operation,” the Kremlin’s term for its full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Debts must have been incurred before May 1. According to the Russian Cian real estate database, 10 million rubles is roughly the cost of a one-room apartment measuring 35 square meters in Moscow.

For over four years, Russia has been offering lucrative salaries to men signing up to fight in the offensive against Ukraine. Putin has also called for war veterans to be given prestigious positions upon returning from the front and priority when applying for higher education institutions.

Russia’s economy is now on a war footing, with military needs taking precedence over other sectors. Putin also enacted a law allowing the deployment of armed forces outside Russia to protect Russian citizens facing justice in other countries. According to the EFE news agency, the law would permit Moscow to intervene militarily in third countries where the liberty of Russian citizens is threatened by judicial processes or arrests conducted without Russia’s permission or outside international law.

Source: www.dw.com