"If You Shoot Down an Enemy Aircraft, 6.5 Million Won" ... Will Russia Offer a Reward This Time?

Plan to Provide Maximum Compensation to Reservist Who Shot Down Ukrainian Aircraft
Local Media: "No Official Announcement from Russian Defense Ministry Yet"
Some Reservists Stage Collective Strike Claiming They Have Not Received Promised Incentive Payments

On June 10th (local time), a Russian soldier standing at the port of Mariupol, Ukraine. Photo by AP Yonhap News

[Asia Economy Reporter Park Hyun-joo] It has been reported that Russia announced it will pay a reward of 300,000 rubles (approximately 6.57 million KRW) to reservists who destroy or capture enemy aircraft and other equipment.

According to local media such as Russia's Zvezda TV and the daily Vedomosti on the 16th, the Russian Ministry of Defense plans to pay the highest reward of 300,000 rubles to reservists who shoot down Ukrainian military aircraft on the battlefield. If an enemy helicopter is shot down, 200,000 rubles (approximately 4.38 million KRW) will be paid, and for destroying tanks, drones, combat vehicles, or anti-aircraft missile systems, rewards of 100,000 rubles (approximately 2.19 million KRW) and 50,000 rubles (approximately 1.09 million KRW) will be given respectively.

The Russian Ministry of Defense also plans to separately pay 100,000 rubles to reservists who demonstrate outstanding achievements in the special military operation in Ukraine, in addition to destroying or capturing military equipment. A Russian military official stated, "The rewards for destroying Ukrainian military equipment and personnel serve as motivation for the reservists."

However, Vedomosti reported that the Russian Ministry of Defense has not officially announced the reward policy targeting conscripted reservists.

The 300,000 reservists conscripted under the partial mobilization order receive social security benefits as contract soldiers until the completion of their missions and earn a minimum monthly salary of 195,000 rubles (approximately 4.26 million KRW). This amount is two to three times higher than the average wage of Russian workers and is cited as a cause of the worsening financial difficulties of the Russian military. On the 3rd, AFP and other agencies estimated that the total six-month salary and allowances for the 300,000 reservists conscripted under the partial mobilization order would amount to between 900 billion rubles and 3 trillion rubles (approximately 20 trillion KRW to 45 trillion KRW).

Some of the conscripted reservists staged a collective strike, claiming they did not receive the promised bonuses in advance. According to the local independent media The Insider on the 7th, about 100 reservists at the Ulyanovsk training camp in southern Russia refused to participate in combat and went on strike. They stated in a declaration, "We will continue to make legitimate demands until the government pays the promised salary." Russian President Vladimir Putin instructed at a cabinet meeting on the 3rd to immediately pay a bonus of 195,000 rubles to reservists and contract soldiers (mercenaries).