In a move to try to ease a shortage of troops, Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a decree on July 31 that raises one-time payments to individuals who sign a contract to serve in the invasion of Ukraine between August 1 and December 31 to 400,000 ($4,640) from 195,000 rubles ($2,260). Meanwhile, some regions and cities have been offering their own payments to those going to the Ukraine war. City authorities in Moscow, for instance, now offer 1.9 million rubles ($22,000) for contracts lasting at least one year. Putin's decree on mobilization to the war in September 2022 sparked protests and a mass exodus of men to other countries. To read the original story by RFE/RL's Russian Service, click here.
