Russia's defence budget goes Cold War: Putin sets aside $202 billion for military
Russia is set to increase its 2027 defence budget to $202.6 billion, representing nearly 7% of its GDP. This shift marks the highest level of military spending since the Soviet era, reflecting the long-term economic impact of the ongoing war in Ukraine.
Why it matters
The massive allocation signals Russia's commitment to a protracted conflict and highlights the strain on its national economy.
Russia is preparing to spend a staggering 17.1 trillion roubles, or about $202.6 billion, on defence in 2027, up 27 percent from the 13.5 trillion roubles earlier allocated for the year and one of the largest military budgets since the fall of the Soviet Union in 1991.The proposed spending, disclosed in Russian government budget documents reviewed by Reuters, underlines how deeply the Ukraine war has reshaped Moscow's economic priorities, with defence set to absorb about 6.9 percent of Russia's projected economic output.The scale of the increase becomes clearer when viewed against Russia's pre-war spending.
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