Putin creates fund for soldiers fighting in Ukraine

Russian President Vladimir Putin on Monday signed a decree creating a special fund to support soldiers fighting in Ukraine and their families.

Russia rarely gives any estimates of its losses in its military operation launched in February 2022, where its military faced series of setbacks.

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The decree in support of the "Defenders of the Fatherland" was published on the official government website.

The measures are "aimed at ensuring a decent life" for soldiers involved in the Ukraine offensive, and for their partners and children, according to the decree.

Putin had announced the support measure at the Federal Assembly on February 21, almost a year after he sent his troops to Ukraine.

"Our duty is to support the families that have lost their loved ones and to help them raise their children and give them an education and a job," Putin then said.

The fund should "bring targeted, personalised assistance to the families of fallen fighters, as well as veterans of the special military operation," he said in February.