Ukrainians offer $1m to Russian fighters who give up warships or jets

Ukraine is offering financial rewards to Russian personnel who surrender and hand over military equipment.

The incentives range from about $25,000 (around £19,100) for reactive volley fire systems to $1m (around £764,000) for combat aircraft and 1st or 2nd rank ships.

It follows comments from the First Deputy Speaker of the Ukrainian Parliament, on its official website, about the law passed on 1 April concerning "the establishment of remuneration for voluntarily transferred to the Armed Forces of Ukraine".

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Oleksandr Kornienko said: "We understand that, on the one hand, we have many willing soldiers of the aggressor country's army to replenish their financial status, and we do not see anything wrong here – if they surrender not just individually, but also with their equipment."

He believes that due to the demoralisation of the "occupying Army" and confusion among soldiers over their motivation and purpose in the conflict, the reward tool will work.

Mr Kornienko added that this measure had first been announced at the start of the conflict, by his colleague David Arahamiya.

The Deputy Speaker hopes that the rewards will not only encourage Russians to lay down their arms but also replenish stocks of weaponry in the Ukrainian ranks.

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The new law sets out that the following financial rewards be offered for military equipment (amounts in US dollars):

- Combat aircraft (fighter and assault aircraft) – 1,000,000;

- Combat helicopter – 500,000;

- Reactive volley fire system – 25,000-35,000;

- Tank, ground artillery (self-propelled) – 100,000;

- Infantry fighting vehicle (landing), armoured personnel carrier, armoured reconnaissance patrol vehicle – 50,000;

- Military vehicle (truck, specialised), military tractor, military engineering vehicles: reconnaissance, demining, mine barriers, bridges, fencing, for paving roads, for earthworks, to overcome water obstacles – 10,000;

- Ships of 1st or 2nd rank – 1,000,000;

- Ships of 3rd or 4th rank – 500,000;

- Ships of military (auxiliary) support – 200,000;

- Ships of small combat (reconnaissance) purpose – 50,000.