In the first quarter of 2026, Russia’s military expenditures reached a new high, increasing by one-third compared to the previous year. The total spending amounted to 5.91 trillion rubles, approximately 83.2 billion dollars, according to calculations by Janis Kluge, a researcher at the German Institute for International Security.
This figure marks the highest military expenditure since the onset of the full-scale war against Ukraine. The year-on-year growth rates are notable:
- 2025: 29.9% increase;
- 2024: 68.7% increase;
- 2023: 129% increase;
- 2022: 460% increase.
Kluge estimates that, on average, Russia’s military operations consumed around 2.7 billion rubles per hour, equivalent to approximately 38 million dollars.
Daily expenditures were about 65 billion rubles, or nearly 916 million dollars. Monthly costs for military activities reached around 2 trillion rubles, translating to 28.2 billion dollars.
This expenditure surpasses the annual budget for the entire higher education system in Russia, which stands at 1.7 trillion rubles, and exceeds the budgets of all Russian regions except for Moscow.
For the first time since the beginning of the conflict, military spending accounted for 46% of the federal budget, indicating that nearly half of the federal budget was allocated for military needs.
The primary increase in spending was attributed to classified budget items, which rose from 3.4 trillion rubles to 4.9 trillion rubles, or from 47.9 billion to 69.1 billion dollars.
Classified expenditures represented 38.2% of total federal spending within a quarterly budget of 12.8 trillion rubles, or 180.4 billion dollars.
Despite government plans to reduce military spending from 7.8% to 6.2% of GDP, expenditures ballooned to 12% of GDP in the first quarter of 2026.
Kluge predicts that by the end of the year, military spending could account for 9-10% of GDP, further exacerbating the country’s budget deficit.
Since 2022, total military expenditures related to the conflict in Ukraine have reached 53.079 trillion rubles, or 746.6 billion dollars. This amount is equivalent to:
- 28 years of current spending on healthcare;
- 30 years of education funding;
- approximately 100 annual budgets for regions such as Krasnoyarsk Krai and Sverdlovsk Oblast.
Russia's military spending surged to 5.91 trillion rubles in early 2026, marking a significant increase compared to previous years. This trend raises concerns about the implications for the country's budget and economic stability.
Source: RBC-Ukraine