In certain regions of Russia, businesses are allocated mandatory quotas by local authorities for sending employees to serve in the army on a contractual basis. According to media reports, businesses in the Ryazan Region that fail to meet these requirements may face fines, whilst in Buryatia an alternative is being offered: paying substantial sums to \u201cfind\u201d other candidates. This practice has already become widespread in some regions, notably in the Ryazan Region and Buryatia, and places additional staffing and financial pressure on companies.<\/p>\n
Briefly about the main points<\/strong><\/p>\n In the Ryazan Region, an official order issued by the governor is in force from 20 March to 20 September 2026, under which companies are required to provide candidates for contract service. For companies with up to 300 employees, the quota is set at two people; for those with 300\u2013500 employees, three; and for large enterprises with more than 500 employees, five contract service personnel.<\/p>\n According to media reports, businesses that fail to comply with these requirements could face fines of up to 1 million roubles, although the decree itself does not specify such sanctions. The official document has been published on the legal information portal, confirming the legitimacy of the requirements imposed on businesses.<\/p>\n Lawyer Timofey Vaskyn<\/strong> He described this directive as overly broad and legally unenforceable, as it effectively shifts the responsibility for mobilisation onto the private sector.<\/p>\n In Buryatia, particularly in the Muisky District, businesses are receiving plans for the selection of candidates for contract service. If a company is unable to provide the required number of men aged between 20 and 60, it is offered the chance to enter into a contract with an agency that \u201crecruits\u201d candidates for a separate fee.<\/p>\n The cost of this service in 2026 is around 100,000 roubles per person. In 2025, a \u201cbuy-out\u201d scheme was in place at 450,000 roubles per contract soldier. According to sources, this practice has been confirmed in Buryatia, whilst there are only isolated reports regarding other regions.<\/p>\n This system turns recruitment for contract work into a kind of tax on businesses, which are forced to choose between staff losses and financial costs.<\/p>\n According to The Moscow Times, employment quotas for participants in the so-called \u201cspecial military operation\u201d have already been introduced in 39 regions of Russia, including the annexed Crimea and Sevastopol. In the Chelyabinsk Region and Buryatia, the quota is 1% jobs for SVO participants; in the Krasnodar Krai, it is 4%; and in the Rostov and Tambov regions and Yakutia, the quota is 3% for companies with a workforce of over 100 people.<\/p>\n The mechanisms for monitoring compliance with quotas and the levels of fines remain unclear. In some cases, information about sanctions is obtained solely from the media, rather than from official documents.<\/p>\n There has been no response so far from the federal authorities to such practices. The State Duma of the Russian Federation responded to the criticism by stating that this is not a centralised mobilisation, although in reality businesses are being extensively enlisted to recruit for the army in the regions.<\/p>\n Whilst putting pressure on businesses, the Russian government is sharply increasing signing bonuses for contract soldiers. In the Vologda Region, these reach 2.7 million roubles, and in the Khanty-Mansi Autonomous Okrug, up to 4.1 million. This points to an acute shortage of people willing to sign up and rising recruitment costs.<\/p>\n For businesses, this policy imposes a double burden: a staffing burden, due to the loss of employees, and a financial burden, due to the need to pay for the \u201csearch\u201d for contract workers or risk fines (in some regions, according to media reports). This is particularly painful against the backdrop of an economic downturn: in 2025, the revenues of large companies in Russia fell by 16.7%.<\/p>\n\n
Official quotas and new requirements for businesses<\/h2>\n
The \u201cbuy-out\u201d scheme and the financial burden<\/h2>\n
The scale and regional characteristics of quota allocation<\/h2>\n
Financial incentives and economic pressure<\/h2>\n