Source: VICE News
Sometimes one just can’t make this stuff up. Russian news journal Деловая жизнь (Business Life) apparently didn’t get the memo about the Kremlin’s ban on reporting any news that might indicate Russian forces are in Ukraine.
In an article on the economy, the section that detailed military spending included several details that apparently slipped by editors. According to the report:
– For fiscal year 2014 the government paid 3 million rubles to families of Russian soldiers who had been killed in the Ukrainian war zone (2,000 fatalities).
– For fiscal year 2014 the government compensated soldiers with disabilities stemming from fighting in Eastern Ukraine with 1.5 million rubles (3,200 Russian soldiers).
Two days after publication the journal suddenly pulled the story and censored the information about Ukraine. However, thanks to archiving, Russian language readers can still have access to the report, here.
And, if things couldn’t get any worse for those who have swallowed the lie of no Russian soldiers in Ukraine, the original report revealed the extra amount that the government will pay “contract” soldiers for Ukraine duty in 2015: 1,800 rubles per day ($28 USD). For some soldiers that is a doubling of their monthly income.
A “contract” soldier is one who remains in the military past the conscription period. Larger bonuses are paid for specialists, such as officers, tank engineers and trained fire control personnel, as these are in higher demand.
