Pool of Putin’s fighters unfazed despite over 250,000 Russian lives lost

Russia’s staggering toll of troops dead in the Ukraine war is no guarantee Vladimir Putin is running out of potential fighters. According to Ukraine ‘s military, over 250,0000 Russian personnel have been “liquidated.” Regardless of the actual number, conscription and money incentives keep the Russian campaign in Ukraine going. Boris Grozovski, a Russian economy expert, explains that for people in small towns and prisons, the war offers a chance to earn much more than before. It’s like a lottery to escape poverty, he explained. Putin is promising financial incentives to new recruits (Image: Getty) Grozovski compares this to a time in the Soviet Union when the poorest were given opportunities if they harmed richer neighbors. Now, Putin tells poor Russians to fight Ukrainians. If they survive, they’ll be rich. If not, their families get money. He told Newsweek: “For people living in small towns, villages and prisons, the war is an option to earn 10 times more money than they got before. “So they and their families see war as a lottery to get out from poverty.” He added: “They see it as a chance. Now Putin says to poor Russians: ‘Go and kill Ukrainians. If you are lucky and return alive, you will become rich. If you die, your family will get huge sums of money from the government.” Jobs linked to the war can pay around $4,000 per month, much more than the average of about $660. Even though some soldiers complain of unpaid efforts, the rewards are still attractive. Some jobs promise big payments – up to $6,000 – and monthly salaries of $5,300. There are also perks like help with debt, which regular jobs don’t offer. This is different from new laws in Russia raising the draft age to 30. If people ignore the draft call, they might lose property rights and face high fines. Grozovski says many poor people see the war as their way out. They don’t have better options. He believes this shows Putin’s role in creating a controversial system. He said: “For many people in poverty, the war is the option to get their affairs in order. “They take this option because don’t have any other options to improve their situation significantly. The construction of such a social system is one of the biggest of Putin’s crimes.”