Russian 'Black Widows' Marry Soldiers to Fraudulently Claim Death Benefits

Key News on Russia's Invasion of Ukraine

(CNA, St. Petersburg, 5th –综合 international reports) When the Russian military informed Maria that her 59-year-old father had been shot on the front lines in Ukraine and later died from his injuries, she was overwhelmed with grief and profound shock.

According to CNN, she was not only unaware that her father, Yury, had enlisted, but also learned that he had gotten married just two days before heading to the battlefield.

Maria, sitting at the dining table in her small apartment in St. Petersburg, wept as she said: "I'm still in shock and can't accept what's happened at all. At first, it felt like a dream. Even now, sometimes when I wake up, I still think it was just a dream. But it's all real."

The bride is 22 years younger than Maria's father. Maria says she has never met her and never heard her father mention her. Yet, this woman is now the legal surviving spouse and thus eligible to receive the official death benefit.

"I've never even spoken to this woman," said 37-year-old Maria. CNN used only her first name to protect her privacy.

"I don't know what to say to her because I immediately felt this was a scam," Maria said. CNN attempted to contact Yury's widow for comment but has not received a response.

When a Russian soldier is killed in combat, their family receives a one-time death benefit of at least 5 million rubles (approximately NT$2 million) from the military. This compensation policy aims to reassure new recruits that their families will be financially supported even in the worst-case scenario.

However, there is growing concern across Russia that this benefit is being exploited by ruthless fraudsters. Russian officials and state media refer to these individuals as 'black widows.'

They lure vulnerable men into sham marriages, then after sending them to the battlefield, if the new husband is killed, they apply for the death benefit, depriving the soldier's actual family of their rightful claim.

In recent months, Russia has seen multiple shocking scandals. Reports suggest new recruits have been tricked into marriage through 'honey traps' and then killed in action, with some even forcibly registered as married on their deathbeds.

Amid worsening economic conditions, fuel shortages, rising casualties from the war, and destructive Ukrainian attacks on Russian territory, public condemnation of these fraudsters is intensifying. There is a growing nationwide demand for authorities to take strong action.

Leonid Slutsky, a prominent Russian lawmaker, stated: "Families of personnel involved in the special military operation need protection from shameless criminals, so-called 'black widows,' financial and phone scammers, and predators targeting those receiving benefits."

He added that such "criminal acts" have now reached a "serious level." (Compiled by Chen Yu-ting) 1150806