Russia offers Rs 16 lakh per foreign solder for Ukraine war: Report

Russia’s Irkutsk region has sharply increased financial incentives for recruiting foreign nationals into the country’s military, offering up to 1.5 million rubles (around Rs 16 lakh) for each foreign citizen or stateless person recruited to fight in the war against Ukraine.According to The Kyiv Independent, which cited independent Russian outlet Vyorstka, the new payment was established in a decree signed earlier this week by Irkutsk Governor Igor Kobzev. The payment is reportedly the highest reward offered by any Russian region for recruiting foreign nationals into the military.Irkutsk has offered financial incentives for recruiting contract soldiers since at least April. Previously, recruiters could receive up to 400,000 rubles (around $4,700). The latest increase means the maximum payment for recruiting a foreign national has risen almost fourfold in seven months, Vyorstka reported.The new decree also creates a separate category for foreign nationals and stateless people for the first time.