According to the data that Russia provided to the United Nations, its military expenditures in 2015 grew by 48 percent as compared to the prior year. In 2015, the total amount of its defense expenditures increased from 1.9 trillion to 2.9 trillion rubles [from US $28 billion to $43 billion].
A third of all declared military expenditures belong to an unnamed category. It is hard to say what is included there, but it is logical to assume that Russia’s “non-participation” in the war with Ukraine and “training exercises” in Syria are included in that sum.
The data received by the UN do not reconcile with the expenses stated in the Russian state budget under the category “The National Defense.” The amount stated there reaches 3.18 trillion rubles [or US $ 48 billion]. It is by 10% exceeds the data, provided to the UN.
Related:
- Analyst: Recent sharp rise in Russian military spending shows Putin preparing for bigger war
- Putin’s wars already costing Russia ~100 billion US dollars a year, Illarionov says
- Putin war budget gives less to health, education, agriculture and even Crimea
