Russia Faces 5 Million-Ruble Soldier Death-Payout Scam as 'Black Widows' Marry Troops
Updated
Updated · The Indian Express · Aug 5
Russia Faces 5 Million-Ruble Soldier Death-Payout Scam as 'Black Widows' Marry Troops
3 articles · Updated · The Indian Express · Aug 5
Summary
5 million rubles in combat-death compensation has fueled a growing Russian scam in which women allegedly rush into marriages with soldiers before deployment, then claim next-of-kin payouts after they are killed.
CNN-linked cases describe marriages arranged days before departure or at hospital bedsides, exploiting Russian inheritance rules that can push parents and children behind a new spouse in line for money and property.
St Petersburg resident Maria said her father married a woman 22 years younger two days before leaving for war; after his death, the wife allegedly took the payout and sold his flat, leaving his daughter with nothing.
Primorsky Krai reports point to a more organized scheme involving a warrant officer, a sergeant and a military accountant accused of pairing isolated recruits with brides and sending them on high-risk missions.
Russian lawmakers are now calling for a crackdown, with Leonid Slutsky warning the fraud is becoming significant as war casualties and social strain deepen public anger.