Russia will 'tighten belts' on occupied Ukrainian territories to prolong the war – CPD.

The Russian Federation does not intend to stop its military aggression against Ukraine for a long Time, despite its negative impact on the economy. The Kremlin is preparing regions for the introduction of strict economic measures to finance the war. This is reported by the Center for Countering Disinformation (CPD) at Ukraine's National Security and Defense Council.

Experts point out that although budgetary spending on Russia's regions has decreased since the beginning of the year, the Kremlin is only now realizing the necessity of sacrificing citizens due to the prolonged war with Ukraine.

Recently, speaker of the Federation Council of the Russian Federation Valentina Matviyenko urged governors to economize, as Vladimir Putin has decided to allocate a third of the state budget to continue the war.

According to Matviyenko, regional leaders should focus on economizing and abandon large infrastructure projects. This decision is related to the fact that the draft budget for 2025 provides for a 10% reduction in financial support to the regions, after a 9% reduction last year.

The Center emphasizes that "problematic" regions of the Russian Federation, which have been a way for the Kremlin to buy the loyalty of the local elite, also suffer from cuts in subsidies.

Experts claim that the Russian authorities, calling to "tighten belts," are making it clear to regional leaders that recruiting "cannon fodder" alone is no longer enough for the war.

"Moscow is also spending resources that could have been used for building roads, schools, and hospitals on the war." - adds the Center.

We remind you that Russian President Putin signed the law on Russia's budget for 2024-2026. Next year, almost a third of all expenses will be directed to maintaining the army and the military-industrial complex.

Also in 2025, the Russian government plans to significantly increase spending on defense needs. According to preliminary data, spending on the army and other military structures will increase due to geopolitical tensions and continued involvement in military conflicts.

We report that Russia spends three times more on the war than Ukraine.