Russia will write off the debts of new contract soldiers for their participation in the war against Ukraine
This is reported by DW, citing a document published on the Russian Federation’s official legal information portal. Details of the discharge conditions are also reported by RBC and Russian legal sources.
Russia is introducing a new financial incentive to recruit people for the war against Ukraine.
On 25 May, Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a law allowing the write-off of overdue loans for new contract soldiers and their spouses.
This applies to Russians who sign a contract to serve in the Russian Armed Forces after 1 May 2026.
Debts of up to 10 million roubles can be written off.
Which debts can be written off
The law does not apply to all loans, but only to overdue debts for which there were already legal grounds for recovery by 1 May 2026.
In particular, this refers to cases where, by that date, a court decision on debt recovery has come into force, an enforcement order has been issued, or enforcement proceedings have been initiated.
The contract with the Russian army must be concluded for at least one year.
Who else will be exempt from credit obligations
The law also provides for the termination of the credit obligations of a Russian serviceman and his family members in the event of his death in the war.
The same rule will apply if a serviceman dies as a result of wounds, injuries, mutilation or concussion sustained whilst participating in the war, or if he is awarded a Group I disability.
A previous similar scheme applied to those who signed a contract after 1 December 2024. The scheme has now been extended to new contract soldiers after 1 May 2026.
Why is Russia expanding such incentives?
The decision was taken against the backdrop of a decline in the rate of conscript recruitment in Russia.
DW cites an assessment by Janis Klug, a research fellow at the German Institute for International and Security Affairs (SWP). According to his calculations based on data from the Russian Ministry of Finance, in the first three months of 2026, around 800–1,000 people signed a contract with the Russian Ministry of Defence every day.
This is approximately 20% less than during the same period in 2025.
Overall, he estimates that since the start of 2026, Russia has recruited around 70,500 contract soldiers.
Payments are also increasing
In addition to debt write-offs, Russia is increasing regional payments for signing a contract.
According to the publication “Vazhnye Istorii”, the average amount of such payments has reached 1.47 million roubles. This is a record figure for the entire duration of the war.
By early April, payments had been further increased in 12 regions, with increases of up to 78% in some cases.
In the first quarter of 2026, 17 regions of the Russian Federation paid out money to nearly 6,000 families of fallen soldiers.
What does this mean for Ukraine
In effect, the Kremlin is using debts, loans and regional payments as a tool to recruit Russians into the war against Ukraine.
The write-off of debts up to 10 million roubles is intended to serve as a further incentive for those who find themselves in financial difficulty and are willing to sign a contract with the Russian army.
For Ukraine, this means that Russia is attempting to compensate for the decline in voluntary enlistment not only through cash payments but also by writing off problematic loans.
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