February 11, 2025

Frontline Sex, Moscow Prices


Frontline Sex, Moscow Prices
Sign in Uzbek offering sexual services in St. Petersburg. Messir, Wikimedia Commons.

Women from Moscow and other Russian cities have flocked to the occupied territories of Ukraine to satisfy the demand for sex workers among soldiers in Russia's ongoing War on Ukraine. Independent outlet Verstka investigated how the sex workers earn an average of R500,000 to R1.5 million ($5,000 to $15,500) a month at the frontlines.

Maryana, a 25-year-old sex worker from Russia, traded Moscow, Sochi, and Krasnaya Polyana for the trenches in Ukraine. A pimp she knew was mobilized to fight in the fall of 2022. Then she received a call from him with an offer: "There are a lot of young men here, the majority of girls over 18 have left, and the soldiers need female attention and care." Maryana and four other girls got on a bus in Lugansk to "visit their husbands" and never looked back.

Working in trenches, saunas, and checkpoints, sex workers make R15,000 ($150) an hour for various sexual acts. Verstka estimates that, by the fall of 2024, 300 women were working in the occupied territories. A hundred women are believed to be working in brothels, while the rest are said to be operating individually.

Maryana said she was initially scared to work in a war zone. But when she saw she was making over a million rubles a month, she thought, "Maybe they are not bombing like that here." Most sex workers rotate their "offices" between frontline sites like Mariupol, Lugansk, Donetsk, Berdyansk and Melitopol.

Clients usually look for women on Telegram through "dating groups" such as "Dating/DNR Chat" and "Dating Donetsk DNR Girls." Channels also publicize ads from sex workers and agencies. Some women use their own channels to offer services and publish reviews. Word of mouth is also a major source of business. An unnamed Russian soldier told Verstka that older married men in the army usually have "a dozen ready and verified numbers of local nymphets." Clients told Verstka they often pay in cash, as the sex services cost nearly as much as transfer limits.

Ninety-nine percent of "Johns" in the occupied territories are Russian soldiers. Civilians there can't afford the "Moscow-level" prices the workers charge: one night with a sex worker usually costs between R70,000 to R120,000 ($722 to $1200). "Extras," such as stripteases, massages, use of sex toys, and kisses range from R2,000 to R10,000 ($72 to $103).

But military men don't just hire women for sex work. Often, men will pay just to talk to the women, especially about their guilt. Some clients feel guilty about cheating. Maryana told Verstka that "almost all the stories are about men they didn't save, but could have, didn't bandage them, didn't crawl up to them." Many regret being in the war: "90 percent of my clients have feelings of regret. They all went for the money and didn't think that they would have to do the dirty work," Maryana said.

And violence doesn't stay in the frontlines. Karina, another sex worker who spoke to Verstka, said most men who request her services are injured and often become dependent on alcohol and drugs. These make the soldiers act violently with the women, because they think they are being attacked. Karina said she has many friends who have been beaten and raped on the job. Women often think they are meeting with one man and end up finding five when they arrive. Karina's friends told her, "He can be good at first, and say 'You are my sweet girl,' try to kiss you, and half an hour later you are passed out and don't understand what is happening."

Pimps have warned sex workers not to discuss politics with clients. Nadezhda, another sex worker, has felt the barrel of a gun against her head after making political arguments. Another woman told Verstka how her friend was shaved bald because of her "long tongue." There are also rumors of a woman who was thrown off the fifth floor of a building. Another was allegedly buried alive. Rumors of a dungeon with female prisoners being drugged and raped is enough to keep sex workers on their toes.

You Might Also Like

Like this post? Get a weekly email digest + member-only deals

Some of our Books

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.

Stargorod: A Novel in Many Voices
May 01, 2013

Stargorod: A Novel in Many Voices

Stargorod is a mid-sized provincial city that exists only in Russian metaphorical space. It has its roots in Gogol, and Ilf and Petrov, and is a place far from Moscow, but close to Russian hearts. It is a place of mystery and normality, of provincial innocence and Black Earth wisdom. Strange, inexplicable things happen in Stargorod. So do good things. And bad things. A lot like life everywhere, one might say. Only with a heavy dose of vodka, longing and mystery.

A Taste of Russia
November 01, 2012

A Taste of Russia

The definitive modern cookbook on Russian cuisine has been totally updated and redesigned in a 30th Anniversary Edition. Layering superbly researched recipes with informative essays on the dishes' rich historical and cultural context, A Taste of Russia includes over 200 recipes on everything from borshch to blini, from Salmon Coulibiac to Beef Stew with Rum, from Marinated Mushrooms to Walnut-honey Filled Pies. A Taste of Russia shows off the best that Russian cooking has to offer. Full of great quotes from Russian literature about Russian food and designed in a convenient wide format that stays open during use.

Faith & Humor
December 01, 2011

Faith & Humor

A book that dares to explore the humanity of priests and pilgrims, saints and sinners, Faith & Humor has been both a runaway bestseller in Russia and the focus of heated controversy – as often happens when a thoughtful writer takes on sacred cows. The stories, aphorisms, anecdotes, dialogues and adventures in this volume comprise an encyclopedia of modern Russian Orthodoxy, and thereby of Russian life.

The Moscow Eccentric
December 01, 2016

The Moscow Eccentric

Advance reviewers are calling this new translation "a coup" and "a remarkable achievement." This rediscovered gem of a novel by one of Russia's finest writers explores some of the thorniest issues of the early twentieth century.

The Latchkey Murders
July 01, 2015

The Latchkey Murders

Senior Lieutenant Pavel Matyushkin is back on the case in this prequel to the popular mystery Murder at the Dacha, in which a serial killer is on the loose in Khrushchev’s Moscow...

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.

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.

The Samovar Murders
November 01, 2019

The Samovar Murders

The murder of a poet is always more than a murder. When a famous writer is brutally stabbed on the campus of Moscow’s Lumumba University, the son of a recently deposed African president confesses, and the case assumes political implications that no one wants any part of.

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