14. Contracted soldiers are those who voluntarily signed a contract to serve in the armed forces. These people are typically older than the 18-year olds who are drafted into the army. There are many such contracted soldiers in the IA MIA. In Chechnya, there is more hostility toward this group of soldiers and this is connected to the fact that they participate in the fighting voluntarily and often for the sake of money. They are most frequently accused of stealing and of violence against civilians.