Moscow residents who voluntarily sign up to join the military will receive a one-time payment of RUB1.9mn ($22,000) upon signing a contract with the Russian Defence Ministry, Moscow Mayor Sergey Sobyanin has announced.

This initiative offers nearly ten times the amount of the federal government's one-time payment for new servicemen, which is currently set at RUB195,000 ($2,250)

The new payment scheme applies to contracts signed in Moscow after July 23.

Including this new, increased payment, along with the wages and allowances provided by both the local and federal governments, a contract soldier from Moscow will now receive over RUB5.2mn ($60,000) in their first year of service.

Moreover, in the event of a serviceman's death, their family is now entitled to a one-time payment of RUB3mn ($35,000).

Sobyanin's announcement comes in the wake of similar moves by numerous other Russian regions to increase financial incentives for military recruits. In many regions, the one-time signing bonus now surpasses RUB1mn ($12,000). In St. Petersburg, Russia's second-largest city, the bonus has been raised to RUB1.5mn ($17,000)

According to Re:Russia, an online expertise and analysis network, the Russian government paid soldiers and their families up to RUB3 trillion ($35bn) in salaries and compensation from July 2023 to June 2024. 

Russia is raising payments for soldiers in a bid to attract new recruits and compensate for significant losses in Ukraine. According to UK intelligence, the Kremlin aims to expand its armed forces to 1.32mn by the end of this year and to 1.5mn next year. The authorities are eager to increase the size of the armed forces without resorting to conscription, which would likely be unpopular.