Russian Legislator Advocates Major Federal Cutbacks to Boost Military Funding for Ukraine Conflict

A senator from Russia’s upper house, the Federation Council, has advocated for substantial cuts in federal expenditure to enhance funding for the military efforts in Ukraine and bolster national security.

In an article for the RBC news website, Anatoly Artamonov, who chairs the Federation Council’s Budget and Financial Markets Committee, suggested reassigning up to 2 trillion rubles (approximately $25.4 billion) each year to finance military and security-related needs.

Currently, these sectors represent 40% of the national budget, marking the highest percentage of defense spending since the Soviet period.

The proposed budget reductions, anticipated to continue until 2028, would focus on eliminating wasteful or non-critical spending, including certain subsidies, benefits, and financial support for entities like football clubs and unprofitable health resorts, he mentioned.

«We have a singular goal for the entire nation, and to achieve it, we must allocate more funds to expedite the process,» Artamonov stated, alluding to the conflict in Ukraine.

He emphasized that social welfare expenditures would remain unaffected.

This year, Russia plans to allocate 13.2 trillion rubles ($167.9 billion) for military operations and 3.45 trillion rubles ($43.9 billion) for domestic security.

However, with revenues from oil and gas declining by 17% in the first half of the year, the country faced a deficit of 3.7 trillion rubles ($47.1 billion), which is six times greater than the deficit recorded during the same timeframe last year.

As pressure on revenues intensifies due to inflation and European Union sanctions on Russian oil, the government aims to implement «the strictest austerity» measures in its upcoming three-year budget, slated for release this autumn.