Two Russian city officials quietly return to desk jobs just a month after drawing headlines for enlisting as volunteer soldiers

Two city administrators in Russia’s borderland Belgorod region are back at their desk jobs just a month after enlisting with the Armed Forces as volunteers. Mikhail Lobaznov and Galina Rudenko, the heads of the Gubkin City and Krasnogvardeysky districts, respectively, scored an early troop rotation that brought them home, according to the region’s governor. The two officials will reportedly donate their military earnings to a local children’s charity.

In mid-October, Lobaznov and Rudenko announced that they were following other colleagues’ example by enlisting in “Bars-Belgorod,” a recently formed Russian military unit tasked with guarding vital infrastructure, countering drones and reconnaissance groups, and supporting counter-terrorism measures. Journalists at the news outlet 7x7 describe Bars-Belgorod as a unit tailored for bureaucrats seeking easy veteran status and eligibility for special benefits.