Russia’s military expenditure in 2023 accounts for approximately 22 percent of the Russian Government’s total budget, British intelligence reported in its daily update on the Russo-Ukrainian war on 30 June.
In a June 2023 report, the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) assessed that Russia’s military spending budget for 2023 is around 6.6 trillion rubles (USD 85,8 billion). According to British intelligence, such military spending equates to about 4,4 percent of Russian GDP compared with 3,6 percent in 2021, before the full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
“Russia’s true military expenditure remains uncertain due to a lack of transparency, including the use of classified budget lines, which account for approximately 22 percent of the Russian Government’s total budget,” the British intelligence report stated.
Russia has likely spent only part of its defense budget on the war against Ukraine, according to British intelligence. However, the increase in spending in 2023 demonstrates how costly the Russian invasion of Ukraine is for Russia’s economy.
Moreover, Russia likely faces extra direct budgetary defense costs due to the ongoing war against Ukraine, including security expenses on the occupied territories of Ukraine and defensive measures in the regions bordering Ukraine, British intelligence concluded.
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