00:00Russia's struggling to find soldiers and is now taking a page from the U.S. military with its
00:05recruitment bonus. Russian media reports new recruits will now get a signing bonus of about
00:10$22,000, with a first year of service amounting to $61,000. According to Business Insider,
00:17until last November, the signing bonus is nearly double the initial amount.
00:21The website points out that $22,000 signing bonus is nearly on par with the $15,000 quick
00:27ship bonus of the U.S. Army for those who report to basic training within 30 days of enlisting.
00:32Those bonuses can reach as high as $50,000 depending on qualifications.
00:37Russian soldiers' salaries are now competitive or even higher than those who work in the
00:41country's lucrative oil and gas industry. According to Business Insider, Russia has
00:45allocated a third of its budget on defense, with 6% of its budget, about $26 billion,
00:51in promised payouts to the wounded and dead. The U.K. estimates Russia has lost a half a
00:57million soldiers or a thousand men a day as the war with Ukraine stretches into its third year.
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