(Moscow) Vladimir Putin signed a decree on Monday formalizing the creation of a special fund for assistance to soldiers engaged in Ukraine and their families, a new social measure announced by the Russian president in the midst of the conflict which has lasted for more than a year. .
The Russian army has suffered heavy losses since the start of the offensive against its Ukrainian neighbor and following a series of military setbacks, Mr. Putin mobilized from September 300,000 reservists, civilians therefore.
The decree to support the “Defenders of the Fatherland”, according to the official title, was published on the government information portal on Monday.
According to this decree, in addition to the soldiers engaged, the wife or spouse and the children will also be supported by this special fund, the total amount of which has not been communicated.
Vladimir Putin announced the creation of this fund on February 21 in a speech to the Federal Assembly, almost a year to the day after the start of the military intervention in Ukraine.
“Our duty is to support families who have lost loved ones and help them raise their children and give them an education and a job,” he said.
This fund should “provide targeted and personalized aid to the families of fallen combatants, as well as to veterans” of the military intervention in Ukraine, the Russian president also said.
He specified a few days later that this special fund would be directly subordinate to the government.
On March 23, Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Michoustin told the Duma that “the fund should start operating across the country in the coming months”.