The aggressor's defence budget is three times higher than total spending on healthcare and education
In 2026, Russia's official expenditures under the 'national defence' category amount to 12.121 trillion rubles, with total war-related costs rising to 14.886 trillion rubles ($177.4 billion). A significant portion of these funds is allocated to supporting the military-industrial complex and developing technologies for armed aggression. This is reported by the portal PromPolitInform, citing information from Defence Intelligence of Ukraine.
The classified portion of the Russian defence budget is estimated at 9.187 trillion rubles, equivalent to approximately $109.5 billion. Moscow has allocated an additional 15.929 billion rubles to stimulate the military-industrial complex, support scientific programmes, and facilitate military-technical cooperation.
Financial support for the military industry
Specific budget lines are aimed at stabilising defence enterprises. In particular, 2.054 billion rubles have been allocated for expenditure compensation, 463 million rubles to prevent bankruptcies, and 500 million rubles for interest subsidies on loans. Another 1.5 billion rubles is designated for compensation payments to industry employees.
Furthermore, 1.25 billion rubles has been allocated for high-performance computing required for weapons development. These tasks are performed using infrastructure from Yandex and Sberbank, companies effectively integrated into the Kremlin’s war efforts. Applied research in the defence sector is valued at 26.178 billion rubles.
Drone production and civil control
The budget earmarks 10.233 billion rubles for the development and serial production of drones. However, the actual size of the UAV market is significantly larger, as it includes private investment and major government contracts.
Specifically, 687.6 billion rubles have been allocated for drone procurement for the National Guard of Russia (Rosgvardia). These units are intended not only for combat but also for internal surveillance, site protection, and suppressing potential protests within Russia.
The social cost of aggression
Overall spending on the war is three times higher than the combined funding for Russian education ($21 billion) and healthcare ($22.5 billion). The $144.4 billion figure designated for the official defence category is comparable to the cost of building the International Space Station.
Photo: Defence Intelligence of Ukraine
Read also: Air quality in Kyiv on October 14, 2026 after a massive missile strike
