Russia's war spending on Ukraine hits record — nearly €25 million per hour
In the first half of 2026, Russia's military expenditure reached an all-time high, averaging nearly €25 million per hour, according to data analyzed by a German researcher.
Russia's federal budget spending on the war against Ukraine reached a historic high in the first six months of this year. According to Dialog.ua, the aggressor spent 10.687 trillion rubles, roughly €106.28 billion, on military needs and weapons production. The figures, based on revised Russian Finance Ministry data, were published by Janis Kluge, a researcher at the German Institute for International and Security Affairs.
Compared with the first half of 2025, spending rose 30%, an increase of about €24.5 billion. Against January–June 2024, the rise reaches 65%, while compared with 2023 it stands at 145%. Measured against the first year of the full-scale war, the increase is 285%, and compared with pre-war 2021, military spending has grown more than fivefold.
Nearly €25 million an hour
On average, Russia's military machine has cost the budget €17.7 billion per month, equivalent to about €587 million a day, or roughly €24.9 million per hour. Almost half of all state budget expenditure is now devoted to military needs — 43.8% in the first six months, a new record.
Most spending hidden from the public
About two-thirds of the military budget is classified. Of the 10.687 trillion rubles, 3.546 trillion rubles went to disclosed defense items, while 7.141 trillion rubles were spent on classified budget lines. The classified share is growing especially fast, up 42% year-on-year and more than sevenfold compared with the pre-war period.
Since the start of the full-scale invasion, Russian authorities have allocated a total of 57.144 trillion rubles, or €567.6 billion, to military and weapons procurement.
