Russian prime minister orders special category of security officers to be eligible for up to double pay for ‘complex’ work

Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin has ordered bonuses to be made available for law enforcement, military, and National Guard officers who work during mass protests.

The bonuses will be issued on a month-to-month basis and will constitute up to 100 percent of the recipient’s salary for that month. They will apply to officers serving in Moscow and the Moscow region as well as St. Petersburg and the Leningrad region.

Police officers who “participate in the defense of public order” as well as National Guard officers who “participate in the provision of order and public safety during mass events” are eligible for additional pay under Mishustin’s order.

The summer 2019 election protests that swept Moscow were accompanied by multiple accusations of police brutality. Government officials also brought criminal charges against protesters who allegedly threw objects such as plastic water bottles at police and National Guard members. The lead prosecutor for the Moscow city government sued activists for several million rubles on behalf of the National Guard in the wake of the protests, and the lawsuit was affirmed in court.

The decisions described here will enable an increase in the level of social protection of internal affairs agency employees, military servicemembers, and Russian National Guard members who take part in ensuring public order.