December 05, 2023

$10,000 for a Fake Injury


$10,000 for a Fake Injury
Readiness check of the 2nd Guards Motor Rifle Division. Ministry of Defence of the Russian Federation, Wikimedia Commons

A system of bribery has been uncovered in Russia's army fighting in Ukraine that allows military personnel to pay for various privileges, such as medical leaves, rotations, and even exemptions from participating in assaults.

Novaya Gazeta Evropa gleaned the information from conversations with the mother of a serviceman from the Storm-Z unit – an active Russian officer.

According to the paper, soldiers can pay anywhere from $500-3,000 for a transfer to different sectors of the front. Vacations come at a steeper price, ranging from $5,000-10,000, but officers are barred from purchasing this particular benefit.

A fake concussion, or a wound requiring hospitalization, costs $10,000-50,000, depending on the serviceman's position and the specific sector of the front where they are fighting. The expenses incurred for "acquiring" such injuries could potentially be compensated for through government payments, as wounded individuals in war are eligible for a payout of R3 million (approximately $30,000).

Previously, Vazhnie Istory, an independent Russian outlet specializing in investigative journalism, reported about bribery within the Russian military. Analyzing verdicts from military garrison courts, journalists discovered that conscripts paid up to R400,000 (about $4,000) to evade deployment or to leave the front.

Mobilization began on September 21, 2022, with Russian authorities announcing the projected enlistment of 300,000 individuals. Many have already lost their lives. A recent study concluded that, on average, Russian conscripts perished in Ukraine after just four and a half months of service, and one in five conscripts did not survive for more than two months. Those who manage to endure are compelled to continue their service without the provision of rotations, returning home only after the conclusion of the war.

This situation has led to discontent among mobilized mothers and wives. Additionally, some soldiers resort to extreme measures to avoid frontline duty: one conscript from Buryatia went so far as to fake his own death by purchasing a counterfeit death certificate while on vacation. The soldier received a five-year sentence in a maximum-security colony for desertion.

You Might Also Like

Russia's Unrealistic Peace Offer
  • November 29, 2023

Russia's Unrealistic Peace Offer

A new report revealed that, in 2022, Russia proposed ending its attack on Ukraine, under one important condition...
Show and Shell
  • October 26, 2023

Show and Shell

A convicted murderer and Wagner mercenary was invited to talk to Russian students.
Like this post? Get a weekly email digest + member-only deals

Some of our Books

Moscow and Muscovites
November 26, 2013

Moscow and Muscovites

Vladimir Gilyarovsky's classic portrait of the Russian capital is one of Russians’ most beloved books. Yet it has never before been translated into English. Until now! It is a spectactular verbal pastiche: conversation, from gutter gibberish to the drawing room; oratory, from illiterates to aristocrats; prose, from boilerplate to Tolstoy; poetry, from earthy humor to Pushkin. 

Life Stories
September 01, 2009

Life Stories

The Life Stories collection is a nice introduction to contemporary Russian fiction: many of the 19 authors featured here have won major Russian literary prizes and/or become bestsellers. These are life-affirming stories of love, family, hope, rebirth, mystery and imagination, masterfully translated by some of the best Russian-English translators working today. The selections reassert the power of Russian literature to affect readers of all cultures in profound and lasting ways. Best of all, 100% of the profits from the sale of this book are going to benefit Russian hospice—not-for-profit care for fellow human beings who are nearing the end of their own life stories.

How Russia Got That Way
September 20, 2025

How Russia Got That Way

A fast-paced crash course in Russian history, from Norsemen to Navalny, that explores the ways the Kremlin uses history to achieve its ends.

Little Golden Calf
February 01, 2010

Little Golden Calf

Our edition of The Little Golden Calf, one of the greatest Russian satires ever, is the first new translation of this classic novel in nearly fifty years. It is also the first unabridged, uncensored English translation ever, and is 100% true to the original 1931 serial publication in the Russian journal 30 Dnei. Anne O. Fisher’s translation is copiously annotated, and includes an introduction by Alexandra Ilf, the daughter of one of the book’s two co-authors.

Bears in the Caviar
May 01, 2015

Bears in the Caviar

Bears in the Caviar is a hilarious and insightful memoir by a diplomat who was “present at the creation” of US-Soviet relations. Charles Thayer headed off to Russia in 1933, calculating that if he could just learn Russian and be on the spot when the US and USSR established relations, he could make himself indispensable and start a career in the foreign service. Remarkably, he pulled it of.

At the Circus
January 01, 2013

At the Circus

This wonderful novella by Alexander Kuprin tells the story of the wrestler Arbuzov and his battle against a renowned American wrestler. Rich in detail and characterization, At the Circus brims with excitement and life. You can smell the sawdust in the big top, see the vivid and colorful characters, sense the tension build as Arbuzov readies to face off against the American.

Fearful Majesty
July 01, 2014

Fearful Majesty

This acclaimed biography of one of Russia’s most important and tyrannical rulers is not only a rich, readable biography, it is also surprisingly timely, revealing how many of the issues Russia faces today have their roots in Ivan’s reign.

The Little Humpbacked Horse
November 03, 2014

The Little Humpbacked Horse

A beloved Russian classic about a resourceful Russian peasant, Vanya, and his miracle-working horse, who together undergo various trials, exploits and adventures at the whim of a laughable tsar, told in rich, narrative poetry.

Murder and the Muse
December 12, 2016

Murder and the Muse

KGB Chief Andropov has tapped Matyushkin to solve a brazen jewel heist from Picasso’s wife at the posh Metropole Hotel. But when the case bleeds over into murder, machinations, and international intrigue, not everyone is eager to see where the clues might lead.

About Us

Russian Life is a publication of a 30-year-young, award-winning publishing house that creates a bimonthly magazine, books, maps, and other products for Russophiles the world over.

Latest Posts

Our Contacts

Russian Life
73 Main Street, Suite 402
Montpelier VT 05602

802-223-4955