Russia's budget deficit nearly doubles as war spending overshoots plan
Bloomberg reports that Russia's 2026 budget deficit has grown to more than $81 billion. War spending has exceeded the original plan.
Russia's 2026 state budget deficit has almost doubled and now stands at more than $81 billion. Spending on the war is running well above what the original plan envisaged.
More money for the war
The headline of the report says Russia is starting to pour even more into the war. According to Bloomberg, this comes after Vladimir Putin concluded that talks with the United States in Alaska would not produce an acceptable deal to end the fighting.
What it means
On these figures, Moscow has not scaled back its war financing. On the contrary, spending has outstripped the planned level, and that has significantly widened the budget shortfall.
The source gives no further details on how the deficit will be financed, how other budget items will be adjusted, or by exactly how much war spending has exceeded the plan.
