Bloomberg: Russia to increase war spending by an additional 4–5 trillion rubles in 2026
Russia plans to increase war spending this year by an additional 4 to 5 trillion rubles — roughly 40% above what the budget allocated — unnamed sources told Bloomberg.
To cover the shortfall, Russian authorities plan to borrow on the domestic market, the sources said, with borrowing expected to reach 2 to 3 trillion rubles.
Experts note that servicing Russia’s existing domestic debt already costs 4 trillion rubles in the current budget — about 9% of total federal spending and the fifth-largest line item, behind defense, national security, social policy, and the economy.
Borrowing is unavoidable, Bloomberg said. Russia’s budget deficit for the first five months of 2026 has already reached 6 trillion rubles, or 2.6% of GDP — roughly 60% above the target for the full year.
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