From vodka to the front line: The economy of war in Putin's Russia

Anton Heraszczenko, an advisor to the Ukrainian Ministry of Internal Affairs, shared on social media a recording that shows a Russian soldier who says he joined Vladimir Putin's army solely for the money. Now, he is apologizing to Ukrainians for his actions.

The Russian emphasizes that he decided to sign a contract with the army because he needed money for vodka and alcohol. Moreover, at the time of signing the contract, he declared that he was completely drunk.

The officer came looking for people. I signed a contract with the army in August 2023. I received a paycheck card, but I lost it because I was drunk - explains the Russian.

Dagayev Andriej Vladimirovich, who we are talking about, hails from the Russian Belgorod Oblast. Over the past years, he did what he liked most - drinking. Then, the "motherland" decided not to let him die of liver cirrhosis and sent him to Ukraine.

Unluckily or luckily for him, the Russian was captured by the Ukrainians and is currently in captivity.

We are being sent to slaughter, we are like cannon fodder for them -admitted the captive Russian soldier, who has not yet sobered up, but has already realized how Russia conducts wars.

The captured man says the Russians are sent to fight with two magazines of ammunition. He apologizes to the Ukrainians for coming to Ukraine and says he will not fight anymore.

I survived shelling. then I found no one. It got dark, I walked back and forth in the forest for three days. Then I found railway tracks, I wanted to return. I went inside, and there were Ukrainians - recounts Vladimirovich.

Men primarily from poor and remote regions of Asia, such as Tuva near the border with Mongolia, are being recruited to the Russian army. Interestingly, since the beginning of the mobilization, household bank deposits there have increased by over 50 percent.

The unusual increase in account balances is due to income from soldier’s pay (salaries) and compensation for serious injuries or death in war.

Officially, the Russian authorities do not publish information about the number of mobilized individuals and their places of residence or the human losses incurred on the front. However, knowledge about the extent of Russian mobilization can be obtained by analyzing data from regional banks in Russia.