Kremlin tightens military discipline amid economic strain
According to analysts from the American Institute for the Study of War, Russian authorities are concerned about the ongoing economic costs of the war in Ukraine and are trying to enforce stricter discipline in their military. Russian soldiers are being required to repay one-time funds they received upon signing military contracts if they commit "gross disciplinary offence."
Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov stated that Russia currently does not plan to conduct another mobilization because Russians are voluntarily contracting to participate in military operations.
In the ISW report, analysts note that Russian authorities are now undertaking additional efforts to encourage military service. On Saturday, Vladimir Putin signed a law allowing the cancellation of overdue loans up to CAD 140,000 for men fighting in Ukraine and their spouses. This applies to debtors whose debt collection proceedings would be initiated by December 1—if the debtor enlists in the military and signs a contract for at least a year, their debt will be canceled.
"Russian leader Vladimir Putin signed a law allowing soldiers who served in Ukraine to write off loans of up to 10 million roubles (approximately CAD 134,000) if courts initiate debt collection before 1 December 2024, likely aimed at motivating indebted Russians to join the Ministry of Defence," stress analysts from the American institute, pointing to the Kremlin's growing concern about the costs of the war in Ukraine.
"The Russian government remains concerned about the economic cost of continuing to wage war in Ukraine, particularly in compensating Russian soldiers," the report reads.
Experts remind that the Russian Ministry of Defence presented a bill on November 22, obligating soldiers to repay one-time funds received upon signing military contracts if the soldier commits "gross disciplinary offence" or shirks military duties.
In this way, as ISW emphasizes, Putin wants to discipline soldiers, especially since they continue to "publicly complain about the Russian military command's poor treatment of Russian soldiers."
