1/ Russia's mobile fire teams (MOGs), which are the backbone of its defences against Ukrainian drones, are poorly paid and lack the benefits given to soldiers. Despite the dangers – MOGs have been attacked – their members do not get the benefits or pay that soldiers receive. ⬇️
2/ The authorities in Krasnodar Krai have announced that they will form mobile fire teams from employees of critical infrastructure and enterprises in Kuban to protect these facilities.
3/ Workers will be able to sign contracts with the Russian Ministry of Defence, and a monthly salary of 50,000 rubles [$627] will be provided. Fire team members are guaranteed not to be deployed to Ukraine (though how iron-clad this guarantee really is remains to be seen).
4/ Such a salary is well below average, representing a low-to-entry level wage. The average gross monthly salary in Russia is around 100,316 rubles ($1,034), while the median monthly income is roughly 73,400 rubles ($757) (though with big regional variations).
5/ It's roughly equivalent to the kind of pay that entry-level staff would receive, such as those in junior administrative roles, retail management, customer service positions, or warehouse supervisors, junior teachers and junior healthcare workers.
6/ 'Donetsk Infantry' is scathing about this, rightly pointing out the stinginess of the salary:
"The Krasnodar Krai authorities plan to pay their Mobile Task Force (MOG) fighters 50,000 rubles per month.
Greed breeds poverty."
7/ "For that kind of money, let your oil refinery oligarchs and other businessmen run around their factories and along the roads with double-barreled shotguns, swaying their fat, trying to catch NATO drones.
8/ "The current price list for a truck driver is 300,000 to 500,000 rubles [$3,700–$6,200] as a bonus for one (single) trip within UAV range. Starting from 600,000 rubles [$7,500] for one (single) MOG-escorted trip with commercial cargo, plus 200,000 rubles for each downed UAV.
9/ "50,000 rubles? Go beg on the church porch, you miserable paupers. Only homeless people will come to you for that kind of money. Ask United Russia for help; let its activists toil for you for free." /end
Sources:
🔹 t.me/Petya_perviy/1…
🔹 t.me/infantry_1/259…
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