Russian Women Sending Their Husbands to Fight in Ukraine: What’s the Secret?

6th December 2024

2 minutes read

Russian Women Sending Their Husbands to Fight in Ukraine: What’s the Secret?

Economic hardships can force people into tough choices, but Russian women are taking a completely different approach.

According to the British Daily Express, there is a growing trend in Russia where women are finding ways to send their husbands, and even former partners, to fight in Ukraine despite the challenging circumstances.

Analyses of search trends on Yandex (the Russian version of Google) show a significant spike in queries using the phrase: “How can I send my husband to the special military operation?”

In Russia, the conflict is officially referred to as a special military operation (SVO), with individuals facing up to 15 years in prison for calling it a “war.”

Researchers found that these queries have increased more than 20-fold compared to last year. They wrote: “The number of such requests nationwide was less than 200 per month in July 2023. However, interest surged, exceeding 5,000 searches per month by July and August 2024—a more than 20-fold increase.”

Analysts also observed a rise in searches for the phrase: “How to send your ex-boyfriend to the special military operation?”

Researchers attribute this trend to the lucrative pay offered to volunteers willing to sign contracts with the Russian Ministry of Defense in July and August.

At the end of July, Vladimir Putin signed a decree doubling financial incentives for volunteers in an effort to boost recruitment.

New recruits now receive a signing bonus of 400,000 rubles (approximately £3,000) alongside a monthly salary of 204,000 rubles (approximately £1,500).

This means that the minimum wage a soldier can earn in their first year of service reaches 3.25 million rubles (approximately £24,000). In comparison, the average annual salary in Russia is around 1.24 million rubles (approximately £9,250).

Upon leaving the military, veterans receive generous social benefits and government support, including a 50% discount on housing and utility costs, as well as a monthly allowance of 195,000 rubles (approximately £1,690).

Additionally, military personnel are guaranteed re-employment at their previous jobs, and their children are given priority in university admissions.

According to Russian officials, around 490,000 men volunteered to fight in Ukraine in 2023, and approximately 190,000 men had signed military contracts by the end of July 2024.