The Russian Defense Ministry on Friday said soldiers who destroyed American armored vehicles being used by Ukraine will be rewarded with cash bonuses in its latest efforts to repel Kyiv’s counteroffensive.
The payments are part of a broader reward scheme introduced since the invasion began in February 2022 which has seen over 10,000 Russian troops given individual bonuses, Moscow said. The Russian Defense Ministry cited reports from its field commanders in announcing that “payments are currently being made to servicemen of the Russian Federation Armed Forces who in the course of military operations destroyed Leopard tanks, as well as armored fighting vehicles made in the USA and other NATO countries.”
It comes after Sergei Shoigu, the Russian defense minister, honored soldiers with the “Hero of Russia gold star” medal after they allegedly destroyed U.S.-made Bradley fighting vehicles and German-built Leopard tanks on the battlefield.
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Armored vehicle kills are rewarded with a bonus worth around $600 and the destruction of enemy tanks merits a $1,200 prize. Pilots who take out U.S.-supplied Himars rocket systems can expect bonuses of around $3,600, with the same level of reward on offer for every Ukrainian helicopter or plane destroyed.
The reward scheme has reportedly been open to corruption in which soldiers deceive their superiors in order to rake in more money for themselves. Dmitry Mishov, a Russian military pilot who fled his post and is seeking sanctuary in Europe, told the BBC earlier this month how the deception works. “Let’s say there is a damaged tank,” Mishov said. “And several helicopters fire at it several times, and the gunner confirms each time for a small amount that a new piece of equipment has been destroyed. And everyone is paid for one tank.”
The Pentagon on Tuesday announced a new $325 million package of support to Kyiv that will include 15 more Bradleys and 10 Stryker armored personnel carriers. It also includes Himars rounds and other munitions. The announcement of new support for Kyiv’s counteroffensive came on the same day the Kremlin released footage of captured Bradleys and Leopard tanks, saying of the hardware: “These are our trophies.”
“Things look not bad,” Ukrainian Zelensky Volodymyr Zelensky said of the counteroffensive in an NBC News interview that aired on Thursday night. “I would say it’s generally positive, but it’s difficult.” He said Ukrainian forces on the frontline are facing “very tough resistance… Because for Russia, to lose this campaign to Ukraine, I would say actually means losing the war.”
On Friday, a British intelligence update said a senior Russian general was “almost certainly killed” in a Ukrainian missile strike in the Zaporizhzhia region earlier this week. It added that General-Major Sergei Goryachev “is the first Russian general confirmed killed in Ukraine since the start of 2023.”
The presidents of South Africa, Senegal, Zambia and Comoros arrived in Kyiv on Friday. The African leaders are aiming to broker peace between Russia and Ukraine, and the delegation is expected to travel to Moscow after talks in Kyiv.
Shortly after their arrival on Friday morning, air raid sirens sounded and explosions were heard around the city. The Kyiv City Military Administration reported a “massive combined air attack” on the city involving six Kinzhal hypsersonic missiles, six cruise missiles, and two reconnoissance drones.
No casualties were immediately reported.
