In russia, Public Sector Employees Are Being Deprived of Pay Raises to Fund Bonuses for Participants in the “special military operation”

russia’s regions have begun postponing or completely canceling planned salary increases for public sector employees. Regional authorities are forced to take money away from teachers, medical workers, and scientists to cover “unforeseen expenses” for cash bonuses for new contract soldiers.

In particular, in yakutia, a 5.4% salary increase for public sector employees scheduled for July 1 has been postponed until the autumn. In its response, the republic’s government explicitly stated that the funds had been redirected to pay mercenaries who sign contracts with the rf’s army. Earlier, the regional one-time payment for deployment to the war against Ukraine was raised from 2.1 million to 3 million rubles, which depleted the local treasury.

At this, yakutia’s budget deficit reached nearly 9.5 billion rubles in the first quarter alone, out of an annual target of 12.75 billion. The authorities in rostov region of the rf acted similarly, simply having canceled the 4% pay raise for public sector employees scheduled for October.

Analysts point out that this is a striking example of how the kremlin’s war machine is draining the last remaining resources from the regions. In its rush to replenish the ranks of the occupying forces, the rf is completely destroying its own social sector and driving regional budgets into a deep debt trap.