Northern Russia’s Yamalo-Nenets Offers 1M Ruble Bounty for Downed Drones

Oct. 7, 2026 Yulia Morozova / Moskva News Agency Authorities in northwestern Russia’s Yamalo-Nenets autonomous district have established a reward of 1 million rubles ($11,700) for reservists who successfully shoot down enemy drones. It is the highest publicly recorded bounty offered by any Russian region for downing Ukrainian drones, according to the state-run news agency TASS. Other regions offer significantly lower rewards, ranging from 20,000 rubles to 200,000 rubles. Reservists operating in Yamal’s mobile firing squads will qualify for an equal share of the bounty if the intercepted drone does not cause damage to local infrastructure, according to a regional decree cited by the agency. Previously, a one-time reward of 1 million rubles was reportedly awarded to a serviceman in the republic of Chechnya last December. Located around 2,200 kilometers (1,367 miles) from the Ukrainian border, the natural gas-rich Yamalo-Nenets was struck by Ukrainian drones for the first time in early September. Read more about: Drones , Ukraine war Sign up for our free weekly newsletter Our weekly newsletter contains a hand-picked selection of news, features, analysis and more from The Moscow Times. You will receive it in your mailbox every Friday. Never miss the latest news from Russia. Preview Subscribers agree to the Privacy Policy We sent a confirmation to your email. Please confirm your subscription. A Message from The Moscow Times: Dear readers, We are facing unprecedented challenges. Russia's Prosecutor General's Office has designated The Moscow Times as an "undesirable" organization, criminalizing our work and putting our staff at risk of prosecution. This follows our earlier unjust labeling as a "foreign agent." These actions are direct attempts to silence independent journalism in Russia. The authorities claim our work "discredits the decisions of the Russian leadership." We see things differently: we strive to provide accurate, unbiased reporting on Russia. We, the journalists of The Moscow Times, refuse to be silenced. But to continue our work, we need your help. Your support, no matter how small, makes a world of difference. If you can, please support us monthly starting from just $2. It's quick to set up, and every contribution makes a significant impact. By supporting The Moscow Times, you're defending open, independent journalism in the face of repression. Thank you for standing with us. Once Monthly Annual Continue Not ready to support today? Remind me later. × Remind me next month Remind me Thank you! Your reminder is set. We will send you one reminder email a month from now. For details on the personal data we collect and how it is used, please see our Privacy Policy. Read more Russian Missile and Drone Barrage Kills 4 — Kyiv The barrage followed the revelation by Zelensky that Kyiv had received a U.S.-made Patriot air defense system. 3 Min read Ukraine Launches Largest Drone Attack on Moscow Since March More than 40 unarmed aircraft were destroyed on approach to the Russian capital between Monday night and Tuesday morning, local officials said. 1 Min read opinion Katarzyna Chawrylo Russia Is Testing NATO With Drones and Disinformation. Here’s How the West Should Respond. Combining military provocation with propaganda is a typical Kremlin tactic. The West must harden its defenses or face further attacks. 5 Min read Ukrainian Drones Spark Fire at Gazprom Oil Plant in Bashkortostan Gazprom Neftekhim Salavat is Russia’s 10th-largest refinery, with a capacity of 10 million metric tons of oil per year. 1 Min read