Russia launched a hotline for citizens with questions about the war and said it was getting 118 calls a minute at one point

Vladimir Putin on the phone in his office in Saint Petersburg on December 15, 2018

Alexey NIKOLSKY / Sputnik / AFP

• The Russian government set up a helpline to answer its citizens' questions about the Ukraine war.
• At its peak, it received about 170,000 calls a day, Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin said.
• That's down to about 20,000 calls a day now, Mishustin said.

A helpline set up by the Russian government to answer its citizens' queries about the Ukraine war was receiving up to 118 calls per minute at one point.

At its peak, the hotline was receiving about 170,000 calls a day, Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin told a newly formed Coordination Council on Tuesday, according to an official transcript from the Kremlin. It's received about 1.5 million calls total, Mishustin said.

The hotline was launched on September 23, local news agencies reported. The calls have now trickled down to around 20,000 a day, Mishustin added. Russians can reach the hotline by dialling 122.

The Kremlin is also running a database of frequently asked questions for citizens. Around 18 million people have visited the website since Putin called an additional 300,000 reservists into service in September, according to the transcript.

The database of some 600 questions and replies shows that Russians are seeking answers to questions like how they can get a refund for fitness memberships and how to get money back on gift certificates from stores that have exited Russia.

In response to a question about which organizations collect money for volunteers and mobilized individuals, government officials recommended that assistance be provided "only through foundations professionally engaged in such activities" like the fund "Everything for Victory."

Government officials also responded to a query regarding payment to those soldiers who have been mobilized by Putin's draft, stating that they will receive 195,000 roubles, or just over $3,100 per month, from the day of their enrollment.

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