The scams of marriages with Russian soldiers have escalated in Russia. Russian women who marry to receive the benefits paid by the Russian state to the relatives of those fallen in battle are known as “black widows,” reports WSJ.
The American publication consulted judicial documents concerning crimes with fake marriages. Some of these involve criminal groups.
Elena Sokolova was fined 3,000 rubles, equivalent to 37 dollars, by a judge, after she married a soldier, Serghei Handojko, immediately after he signed a contract with the Russian army. As a widow, the woman would have been entitled to 200,000 dollars, a sum almost 20 times larger than the average annual salary in Russia.
The judge decided that the soldier was deceived. According to the testimonies of those close to him, he got married the day after he enlisted. No one knew his bride and they were surprised to learn about the wedding to which they were not invited.
Several lawsuits are pending in Russia in connection with these interested marriages.
In the meantime, Russian deputies have submitted bills to toughen penalties in such cases or to reduce benefits.
More and more Russians have seen an opportunity to profit from war following attractive offers for those who enlist – generous salaries, enlistment bonuses, and huge benefits for descendants.
The payments due to the families of those killed in battle can reach 14.5 million rubles, about 180,000 dollars. Most of the recruits come from poor regions.
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