On March 18, the Legislative Assembly of Russia’s Irkutsk region approved in the first reading a bill that would sharply reduce regional compensation for the deaths and injuries of war participants. At the same time, the payment for signing a military contract is set to double.
According to video of the session reviewed by Novaya-Europe, the matter was discussed only at the end of a five-hour meeting under the miscellaneous section. It was not listed separately on the agenda, and the title of the document, “On Amendments to Certain Laws of the Irkutsk Region,” did not make its substance clear.
The proposal was introduced by the Association of Municipalities of the Irkutsk Region. It was presented at the session by the group’s head and the mayor of Cheremkhovo, Vadim Semyonov. He said the purpose of the amendments was to make contract service more attractive, since the region has struggled to meet Defense Ministry targets and residents have been leaving to sign contracts in other regions.
Semyonov said the decision was driven by the need to balance the budget under limited financial capacity. He also said that people who became eligible for payments before April 1, 2026, would retain all previously established guarantees in full.
The only deputy to oppose the measure was Larisa Yegorova of A Just Russia. She called the new payment amounts a “farce” and questioned their practical value, saying that 60,000 rubles, or even 120,000 rubles, could not meaningfully address the consequences of a severe injury.
Assembly speaker Alexander Vedernikov said the bill would be revised before its second reading. In the end, 30 deputies voted in favor, one voted against, and four abstained. Amendments for the second reading will be accepted until April 8.
In the fall of 2025, Governor Igor Kobzev, while presenting the region’s 2026 budget, announced a regime of financial discipline and described support for war participants and their families as one of the main priorities. Under the draft budget, regional revenue is expected to total 278 billion rubles, spending 303 billion rubles, and the deficit 25 billion rubles. Against that backdrop, the authorities have already cut funding for a range of state programs, including education, healthcare, and infrastructure.