Russia increases military spending
The Kremlin has decided to abandon plans to freeze defense spending, which were included in the three-year budget adopted last year.
The total amount of military expenditures in the 2022-24 federal budget will increase by 15%, accordint to the explanatory note to the draft budget, TASS reports.
The budget bill for 2021 initially included 3.113 trillion rubles ($43 billion) to finance the army and procurement of weapons - 196 billion rubles ($2.69 billion) less than a year earlier.
But within a year, all spending cuts were reversed. According to the latest updated list published by the Finance Ministry, 3.381 trillion rubles ($46 billion) will be allocated for military purposes this year - 73 billion ($1 billion) more than in 2020.
In 2022, defense spending will increase by additional 129 billion rubles ($1.77 billion) to 3.51 trillion rubles ($48 billion) , in 2023 by additional 40 billion rubles ($550 million), to 3.55 trillion rubles ($49 billion) and in 2024 it will reach 3.81 trillion rubles ($52 billion) (additional 260 billion rubles ($3.57 billion)).
Thus, in total, additional 730 billion rubles ($10 billion) will be poured into the defense budget over three years compared to the amount which is currently spent annually.
Compared to the 3-year budget adopted last year, the defense spending for 2022 will increase by 279 billion rubles ($3.83 billion) (+ 8.6%), and the spending for 2023 will grow by 293 billion ($4 billion) (+ 8.9%).
The share of military expenditures in the federal budget will increase from 14.4% to 15.3%.
The most expensive in the post-Soviet history program of the state defense order, which accounts for 22 trillion rubles ($300 billion) over 10 years, takes two thirds of the entire defense budget.
Launched in 2007, and then extended twice (in 2011 and 2018), the program will retain current funding until 2035, said in April the first Deputy Chairman of the Russian Board of the Military-Industrial Commission, Andrey Elchaninov.
The size of the program "despite all the issues in the country’s economic situation, will not decrease in absolute terms," he stressed.
In addition, the money will be needed by the Defense Ministry for the indexation of salaries above the inflation rate, which was ordered by President Vladimir Putin.
After the Congress of the ruling party "United Russia" on August 24, Putin ordered to find money in the 3-year budget for these purposes. Then, Putin announced one-time payments to the military and law enforcement officers in the amount of 15 thousand rubles ($206).
In total, the 2022-24 budget includes 65 billion rubles ($890 million) "to maintain appropriate level of monetary allowance for servicemen of the Russian Armed Forces." 31.2 billion rubles ($430 million) will be allocated in 2022, 32.448 billion ($450 million) in 2023 and another 1.3 billion ($180 million) in 2024.