To win over new recruits, Russian army erases debts

The Russian army will do anything to convince new recruits to sign up for the front in Ukraine. And to take the risk of losing their lives in the process.

Imagine: a man in debt, beset by creditors, has his financial future turned upside down in one fell swoop. All he needs to do is sign a contract with the Russian army. With the stroke of a pen, Vladimir Putin then cancels his debts of up to 10 million rubles, or around 120,000 euros, on condition that the debts are already being recovered by the courts, reports the Swiss website bluewin.ch.

This law, signed on May 26, 2026, applies to recruits who sign a contract from May 1, 2026 for a minimum of one year. It implies participation in what the Kremlin modestly calls the "special military operation", aka the invasion of Ukraine, launched over 3 years ago.

Tens of thousands of soldiers have been killed and wounded, not to mention those who have defected or been taken prisoner. And the Russian authorities stop at nothing to fill the ranks of the army. Attractive salaries, social benefits, promises of social advancement: there are plenty of ways to convince the reluctant. Upon their return from the front line, combatants are eligible for top jobs in Russia. In a country that lives by the war effort, the army's needs take precedence over those of all other sectors.

This measure reveals a cruel truth: a man in debt is prepared to take risks that ideology alone would not justify. For a household strangled by repayments, the disappearance of 120,000 euros in debts looks like a second chance. But this "chance" comes at a price, and it can be counted in months spent under Ukrainian shells. And the Kremlin doesn't stop there: the text even provides for a possible write-off of the debts of the spouse of someone who leaves for the front line.

The Russian army, in dire need of cannon fodder, is thus turning its population's financial problems into a recruitment tool. And it shows that in times of war, even debt can become a weapon.