Amid a growing federal budget deficit and worsening financial troubles in the regions, russia is now forced to save money even on its central resource in this bloody war — human lives.

Several federal subjects have sharply reduced one-time bonuses for those signing contracts with the occupying army.

In bashkortostan, the payout dropped from 1.6 million to 1 million rubles; in the yamalo-nenets Autonomous District — from 3.1 million to 1.9 million; in belgorod oblast — from 3 million to 800,000; and in nizhny novgorod oblast — from 3 million to 1.5 million rubles.

At the same time, payouts in some areas are rising: tatarstan has increased the bonus to 3.1 million rubles, ryazan oblast promises an extra 1 million, and kabardino-balkaria raised the amount from 1.5 to 1.8 million rubles.

This action has effectively formalized a "caste system" in russia, where the value of a citizen's life depends on their place of residence.

The "wannabe empire's" financial hole is widening at record speed. From January to July 2025 alone, russia's budget deficit reached $61 billion — nearly four times the initial plan of $14.6 billion.

The main reasons are falling oil and gas revenues, missed tax targets, and a rapid increase in military spending.