• Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a law on Saturday on debt cancellation for certain recruits.

• It allows up to $96,000 in debt forgiveness for those who sign a minimum one-year contract to fight in Ukraine.

• It comes amid rising Russian combat losses.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has signed a law allowing debt cancellation for certain troops who sign up to fight in Ukraine.

Putin on Saturday signed legislation that will allow recruits who sign a contract for at least one year to fight in the war from December 1 and cancel up to 10 million rubles in overdue debts (about $96,000), Russia reported Interfax news agency.

The legislation applies if the collection procedure is opened before December 1, 2024, the report said.

The Russian State Duma approved the bill earlier this week.

The new law, which also extends to the spouses of recruits, comes amid mounting Russian combat losses in Ukraine.

Reacting to the news on

“In addition to the enormous sum of money on offer, debt forgiveness is now also being offered, not only for those who sign up, but also for their families. It says a lot,” he wrote.

As Bildt said, it wouldn’t be the first time that Russia has tried to use financial incentives to increase its troop numbers.

In July, Russia began offering $22,000 bonuses to military recruits in Moscow.

Britain’s Chief of Defense Staff Tony Radakin said earlier this month that Russia was dealing with an average of more than 1,500 troops killed or wounded every day in October, the month of the conflict so far.

NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte said in late October that Russian forces had suffered more than 600,000 injuries or deaths since Russia launched its full-scale invasion in February 2022.

In a post on

Russian forces were somewhat strengthened by the arrival of thousands of North Korean troops in October.

The latest legislation follows President Joe Biden’s decision to allow Ukraine to attack Russia with US-supplied long-range missiles.

The most significant policy change in the US comes as Biden moves to provide more support to Ukraine ahead of the inauguration of newly elected President Donald Trump in January.

Ukraine is also said to have fired British-made long-range missiles at targets in Russia for the first time this week.

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