According to a draft law, Moscow wants to spend 13.5 trillion rubles (about 135 billion euros) – a quarter more than before – from the state budget on its army next year.
Overall, due to Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine, a third of the budget goes to the armament and defense sector. The money is used to purchase new weapons and equipment, as well as to recruit and pay soldiers. Together with the equally high expenditure on national security, the figure is even more than 40 percent. Publicly, Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin and other cabinet members have avoided providing information about increasing the defense budget.
2024 will be an absolute record year for the defense sector with 10.4 trillion rubles (about 104 billion euros), reported the independent business portal “The Bell”. Military expenditure should even drop sharply to 85 billion euros from next year.
Where the priorities lie
Last week, the financial service Bloomberg reported on rising military spending in Moscow. However, the estimate of the equivalent of 132 billion euros was slightly lower than the actual estimated value, reports ‘The Bell’, citing an explanatory annex to the budget law introduced in parliament.
In 2026 and 2027, spending on the military is expected to decline only slightly, to 128 and 131 billion euros respectively. Against the backdrop of record spending on the war, Russia is cutting its social spending by around nine percent to 100 billion euros in 2025.
Source: Krone
I am Ida Scott, a journalist and content author with a passion for uncovering the truth. I have been writing professionally for Today Times Live since 2020 and specialize in political news. My career began when I was just 17; I had already developed a knack for research and an eye for detail which made me stand out from my peers.
