Russia intends to increase its defence spending by 25 percent next year, according to a draft state budget released on Monday.
Russia’s military spending in rubles has already more than tripled since President Vladimir Putin’s decision to invade Ukraine in 2022 and will reach 13.5 trillion rubles next year, a figure not seen since the Cold War.
The draft document, submitted for review to the State Duma, the country’s lower house of parliament, calls for more than $145 billion in military spending in 2025, from $116 billion this year.
The New York times says the decision is a sign that the Kremlin believes the war is likely to continue well into next year. In 2023, it planned to reduce military spending by about 21 percent in 2025 but reversed course as the war dragged on.
The increase means that the Kremlin is allocating more than 32 percent of its state budget to defence, more than to pensions and other social expenditures, health care and education combined.
After more than 31 months of war, Russia needs to recruit and train servicemen and replace weapons and equipment.
Putin recently ordered an increase in the size of Russia’s active military force by 180,000 to 1.5 million but some analysts doubt the army might reach that size.
UKRAINE
Meanwhile, Ukrainian forces shot down a wave of Russian drones unleashed on Kyiv, according to overseas media outlets.
Russia launched multiple drone strikes against the Ukrainian capital early on Monday.
Air defence units successfully defended the city during the attack which lasted over five hours, Ukraine’s military said.
Numerous blasts were heard over the Ukrainian capital in what sounded like air defence systems in operation and objects were seen being hit in the air.
All the drones that Russia launched at Kyiv were destroyed by defence systems or neutralised by electronic warfare, said Serhiy Popko, the head of Kyiv’s military administration.
There were no casualties and no damage reported, he added.
