Russia’s spending on its war in Ukraine continues to grow. Somehow, despite tightening sanctions and increased global isolation, two-and-a-half-years in to the conflict, it appears Moscow can continue to splash the cash on its army – for now.
Spending on president Vladimir Putin’s military is set to increase by more than a quarter to 13.3 trillion roubles (£107 billion) next year, according to a draft of the Russian state budget for 2025 revealed this week. This colossal sum – which is nearly double the 6.4 trillion roubles (£52 billion) spent last year – is roughly twice the size of the amount spent by Britain on its own defence.
Russia’s government had planned to implement a steady reduction in defence bills across 2025 and 2026. This clearly hasn’t happened: the plan to shrink defence spending reflected the financial authorities’ desired fiscal prudence, rather than the Kremlin’s war plans or reality on the battlefield.
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