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Russian soldier death payments targeted by fraud networks, report says

A German news explainer describes marriages arranged to collect compensation and alleged involvement by officials, police and military personnel.

Channel: tagesschau ·

GermanyStory of October 30, 2026Trari Newsroom

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tagesschau: The main news programme of ARD, Germany's public broadcasters, on air since 1952. 2.3M subscribers and 2.4B views.

Geschäft mit dem Tod?

Networks seeking to collect compensation for Russian soldiers killed in the war in Ukraine allegedly involve more than prospective spouses: officials, police and military personnel also participate, according to Germany's ARD public broadcaster's tagesschau news service.

In the Short "Geschäft mit dem Tod?" ("Profiting from death?"), presenter Julia Faltermeier describes women deliberately marrying soldiers so they can receive state payments if the men die. She places the alleged schemes against the backdrop of Russian wartime losses and the salaries and bonuses offered to attract recruits.

The report includes a Russian podcast excerpt in which a woman describes finding a man serving in the war and receiving eight million rubles after his death. An editorial note accompanying the video says compensation amounts can vary and puts that sum at approximately €89,000.

Faltermeier presents the alleged fraud as an organized activity involving people within state institutions, rather than simply individual marriages. The brief report does not establish how widespread the practice is.

She closes by saying Russian authorities are taking action against the fraud and that the woman shown in the podcast excerpt has since been convicted.

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