In Russia, 12 regions have reduced or canceled the so-called "burial" payments to families of fallen soldiers since the beginning of 2026, causing widespread public outrage. According to reports from "Vazhnie Istorii" and The Moscow Times, such decisions have been made in several regions, including Kemerovo, Kirov, Omsk, Orenburg, Ulyanovsk, Smolensk, Belgorod, Saratov, Samara, Bashkortostan, Khakassia, and Stavropol Krai.
Payment Reductions: Specific Examples
Payments to families of fallen soldiers have been significantly reduced in several regions:
- In Saratov Oblast, the one-time payment has been cut from 1 million rubles to 100,000 rubles.
- In Stavropol Krai, the payment has been postponed to 2027.
- In Samara Oblast and Khakassia, payments have been completely canceled.
The head of the Khakassia branch of the "People's Front" organization, Ksenia Bugunova, expressed her outrage, stating: "There is nothing to bury. It is a disgrace when our fighter comes back in a zinc coffin, and the family does not know where to get the money."
Financial Difficulties of Regions
According to media reports, regional budgets in Russia are required to independently cover the "burial" payments, one-time payments for signing contracts, and bonuses for recruiters. However, forecasts from Sberbank indicate that in 2026, the total deficit in regional budgets will reach 2 trillion rubles. This leads some regions to also reduce payments to military personnel for signing contracts.