Later this week, the government of Bashkortostan will reduce the one-time bonuses for men who enlist in the army, joining several other regions that have cut financial incentives for military service in Ukraine.

According to a decree from Bashkortostan’s leader, Radiy Khabirov, individuals who sign military contracts between January 1 and June 4 will receive a one-time payment of 1.6 million rubles ($20,300). However, starting Thursday, this amount will decrease to 1 million rubles ($12,700), as reported by the RBC news website on Monday.

Since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022, regional administrations have provided substantial enlistment bonuses to encourage volunteers. By 2023, both federal and local authorities had begun offering some of the most competitive salaries and signing bonuses witnessed since the Soviet era.

This year, though, certain regions have started to retract these benefits.

In the Belgorod region, which shares a border with Ukraine and has experienced continual shelling, the previously offered bonus of 3 million rubles ($38,100) has been cut to 800,000 rubles ($10,100). Similarly, the Yamal-Nenets autonomous district and the Samara region also reduced their enlistment bonuses in April.

In a related move, President Vladimir Putin established a new compensation system for combat-related injuries last year, replacing a flat payment of 3 million rubles with a tiered structure depending on the severity of the injuries.

Despite these reductions, enlistment bonuses remain substantial in various regions. At least six areas have raised their one-time payments since the beginning of 2025, with an additional two areas increasing them last month.

In May, Putin claimed that Russia was recruiting as many as 60,000 volunteers each month, nearly double the numbers reported by Ukraine.