Military service in the Russian armed forces has become increasingly lucrative following the large-scale invasion of Ukraine last year, Britain’s Defense Secretary says, the Guardian reports.

According to information published by the British Foreign Office on Twitter, on February 4, 2022, Vladimir Putin said that a lieutenant was receiving 81,200 rubles per month. By October 2022, he announced that even soldiers would receive 195,000 rubles the month.

Many lower ranks serving in Ukraine now earn over 200,000 rubles a month. It is about 2.7 times higher than the Russian national average salary of 72,851 rubles. In comparison, 2.7 times the average UK salary would equate to over £90,000 a year.

It is very likely that the salary and additional benefits are a strong incentive for staff to join, especially those from the poorer regions of Russia. However, it is considered unlikely that Russia will meet its targets for recruiting volunteers into the ranks.