Іn Russia’s Irkutsk Region, a record payment has been set for recruiting foreigners for the war
Authorities in the Irkutsk region have established the highest payment in Russia for recruiting foreigners for the war: on September 10, Governor Igor Kobzev signed a decree authorizing a payment of 1.5 million rubles (approximately $17,800) to anyone who “facilitates” the signing of a military contract by a foreign national or a stateless person.
The same decree doubles the payment for recruiting Russian citizens from other regions—raising it from 400,000 to 800,000 rubles. This marks the first time foreigners have been singled out as a separate—and most highly compensated—category in the decree.
The Irkutsk region has been paying for assistance in recruiting contract soldiers since at least April 2026; previously, the maximum amount was 400,000 rubles, regardless of the recruit’s citizenship.
Other regions have also raised recruiter rewards: the Smolensk region increased the payment from 115,000 to 1 million rubles for recruiting any individual, while the Ryazan region raised it from 575,000 to 805,000 rubles for recruiting a foreigner from outside the CIS or a Russian citizen from another region.
Active recruitment of foreigners began in early 2025, following a drop in the number of Russian volunteers. Beyond financial incentives, recruits are often forced to sign contracts through coercion and threats of deportation.
German economist Janis Kluge has calculated that the recruitment of contract soldiers in Russia has recently fallen to a three-year low. Russian authorities also acknowledge the decline in the number of recruits: according to Dmitry Medvedev, Deputy Chairman of the Russian Security Council, regions recruited approximately 200,000 people in the first half of this year—about 5% fewer than during the same period in 2025.