‘Black widows’: Women accused of marrying Russian army recruits to claim death payouts

Scam Marriages on the Rise as Russian Soldiers Face Death Benefits

Qwenews.com – Across Russia, a growing wave of controversy has emerged surrounding women who allegedly marry soldiers to secure financial compensation when their new husbands fall in battle. These opportunistic brides, dubbed “black widows” by officials and state media, are accused of exploiting vulnerable men through sham unions before they are deployed to Ukraine.

A Father’s Unexpected End

Maria, a 37-year-old woman from St. Petersburg, found herself grappling with multiple layers of shock when military officials delivered news of her father’s death. Yury, aged 59, had reportedly been struck by gunfire on the Ukrainian front and subsequently succumbed to his injuries. What made the situation even more bewildering was that Maria had no idea her father had joined the armed forces, and she learned he had wed merely two days prior to his deployment.

“I’m still in shock and still can’t accept what happened,” Maria sobbed at the kitchen table in her small St. Petersburg flat. “At first, it felt like a dream. Even now, I sometimes wake up thinking I must have just dreamt it all. But it is really happening,” she added, tearfully.

The woman who had married Yury was 22 years his junior. According to Maria, she had never encountered this bride before and was unaware her father had even mentioned her. The marriage made the younger woman Yury’s legal next of kin, granting her entitlement to official compensation payments.

“I’ve never even spoken to this woman,” Maria, 37, said. CNN is using only her first name for privacy reasons. “I don’t know what to say to her because I immediately suspected it was a scam.”

The Financial Incentive Behind the Scams

When Russian soldiers perish during combat operations, their designated next of kin receive lump-sum payments from the military beginning at 5 million rubles, equivalent to approximately $64,000. This compensation package was designed to provide reassurance to recruits that their families would be financially secure should tragedy strike.

However, mounting evidence suggests the system is being systematically exploited. Scammers allegedly lure vulnerable men into marriage arrangements, send them to the front lines, and then collect death benefits while excluding other legitimate relatives from the payouts.

Recent months have seen numerous scandalous reports across Russia. In one particularly high-profile case from last year, a nurse employed at a military hospital was dismissed after accusations surfaced that she had married five soldiers under her care before they died from their wounds, all to secure death benefits.

Political Response and Public Outcry

The phenomenon has resonated deeply within Russian society, which is increasingly concerned about the domestic consequences of the Ukraine conflict—still officially termed a “special military operation” by the Kremlin. Compounded by economic deterioration, fuel shortages, mounting casualties, and Ukrainian strikes on Russian territory, public anger toward these scammers continues to intensify.

“The families of Special Military Operation participants need protection from brazen criminals, from so-called ‘black widows,’ from financial and telephone scammers and predators who target those who have received monetary payouts,” said Leonid Slutsky, a prominent lawmaker in Russia’s usually uncritical parliament, adding that such “crimes” were now reaching “serious proportions.”

State Encouragement of Military Marriages

Following Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, the government actively promoted marriage among recruits. This initiative served dual purposes: strengthening family support networks and providing soldiers with additional motivation to fight. The campaign aligned with President Vladimir Putin’s broader promotion of traditional values, particularly important given Russia’s ongoing demographic challenges.

Authorities worked to expedite marriage procedures for newly enlisted men, bypassing standard notice periods. State television featured mass wedding ceremonies organized by local officials to further accelerate the process.

Marriage to a soldier—particularly one facing deployment to what many now call the “meat-grinder” front lines—has even been portrayed as a pathway to property ownership. In a video podcast filmed in the Siberian city of Tomsk last year, real estate agent Marina Orlova offered remarkably candid advice to potential buyers.

“I’m a 30-year-old woman, but if I want to buy an apartment, where am I supposed to get the money?” the host, Darya Cherdantseva, asked. “It’s simple,” the agent, Marina Orlova, responded. “Find a man who’s serving in the Special Military Operation and when he gets killed, you get 8 million rubles ($102,000),” she laughed.

As public pressure mounts, calls for official intervention against these alleged scams continue to grow louder across Russia.