Russia to reduce payments for soldiers wounded in war

Russia’s government is reducing payments made to soldiers suffering lesser injuries in the war on Ukraine as the costs of the invasion pile up. 

Following an order from President Vladimir Putin to review the payouts, the government introduced a three-tier scale with compensation depending on the level of injury, according to a decree signed Wednesday. 

The most severely wounded will still receive 3 million rubles ($30,456), which was previously guaranteed for all wounded soldiers, according to the document. The payment for injuries deemed moderate was cut to 1 million rubles and for light injuries to 100,000 rubles.  

Putin’s distant cousin and Deputy Defense Minister Anna Tsivileva raised the question of how to more fairly distribute compensation earlier this month after visiting a hospital in Moscow and meeting soldiers and doctors who voiced the idea. 

It is not immediately clear how much Russia will save through the measure.