Women Accused of Marrying Russian Army Recruits to Claim Death Payouts
Russian officials say scammers lure soldiers into sham marriages and claim compensation after deaths, with one reported case involving five soldiers.
- In recent months, Russian authorities reported 'black widow' scams where women target soldiers for marriage before deployment to claim death benefits starting at 5 million rubles .
- Following the 2022 invasion of Ukraine, the Kremlin actively promoted marriage to bolster family support, leading officials to facilitate speedy unions for newly enlisted soldiers.
- Maria discovered her 59-year-old father, Yury, married a woman 22 years his junior two days before deployment, allowing the stranger to become his legal next of kin and claim benefits.
- Soldier Georgy Kostyrko married Angelina Varyukhina 10 days after meeting online, though Varyukhina denied scamming allegations, calling accusations an attempt to "blacken" her reputation.
- Given catastrophically short life expectancy on the front lines, marrying a soldier is increasingly viewed as a financial strategy, with scammers targeting the $102,000 compensation package to resolve personal debts.
37 Articles
37 Articles
Women who identify and marry Russian soldiers just before they go to the front. The chances of death are high, and as compensation for the departure arrives 5 million rubles. To make the expenses are the family members of the victims, who lose the compensation. The phenomenon of the "black places" is spreading more and more in Russia, reaching "serious proportions"
In Russia, so-called "black widows" - women accused of marrying soldiers sent to war in Ukraine for money and state compensation - are receiving increasing attention. Such cases are increasingly reported in the Russian media, and blacklists of such women are even being created online.
This practice has been known for some time. Late last year, The Wall Street Journal reported on the marriage of Sergei Khandozhko, who married the day after enlisting in the army. His family and friends were completely bewildered. The 40-year-old never mentioned a bride or a wedding. And the family's surprise quickly turned to shock. Khandozhko was killed at the front, and his widow received compensation of $200,000. At the time, this was 20 tim…
Growing suspicions are being directed at women who marry Russian men shortly before they go to war, as a way to receive widow's compensation in the event that the men die. The minimum amount is around 6 million kronor.
Russia's 'Black Widows' Accused Of Marrying Soldiers For War Payouts
[Image: Newsdesk] A St Petersburg woman says she discovered that her 59-year-old father, Yury, had joined the Russian army only after military officials contacted her to say he had been wounded in Ukraine and later died. Then came the second shock. Yury had apparently married two days before being sent to the front, making a woman his daughter Maria says she had never met his legal next of kin and putting her in line for military compensation. T…
Taking advantage of the war against Ukraine, Russian women marry soldiers to collect the compensation provided by the State.In some cases, the payment amounts to more than $100,000. Networks designed to deceive vulnerable men were denounced and then targeted specifically at high-risk points in the war.
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