Common Law Wives of Russian Soldiers Can Get Payments Only If Couple Lived Together and had at Least One Child Together, Moscow Rules

Paul Goble

              Staunton, June 3 – Common law wives of Russian soldiers who have fought and died in Ukraine have appealed a Russian government decision not to grant them any benefits unless they can prove they lived with such men for at least three years and had at least one child in each case.

              This issue has become increasingly explosive not only because of mounting fraud – women who claim benefits without such ties are an increasing problem – but also because of the explosive growth in the number of young Russians who live together without getting married officially (nakanune.ru/articles/124713/).

              One reason many Russian women have given for joining the suit is that they began living together with someone who then volunteered to fight in Ukraine before they had been together for three years but fully expected to return alive and continue the relationship after doing so.

              But there are two major reasons why the government is resisting: the amount of money given to widows of combat victims is large and there is a fear among officials that if the women win this case, others will use it as precedent to expand the rights of common law wives to claim property or inheritances, issues still muddy in Russian law.