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What does Russia's rising military budget say about its plans for the war?
Russia

What does Russia's rising military budget say about its plans for the war?

by Karol Luczka

The Russian government began the month by submitting a three-year budget plan to parliament, proposing yet another increase in funding for its war against Ukraine. On the surface, the planned increase looks substantial. Russia's overall military budget is set to rise to around 17 trillion rubles (approximately $200 billion) in 2027, up from 12 trillion rubles in 2026 — a 27% increase in nominal spending. When combined with spending on law enforcement, another heavy budget line, expenditures on

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Ukraine war latest: Russian attack on Pryluky kills at least 20, including 5 children

Key developments on Oct. 7: * Russia slams Ukraine with missiles, drones on Putin's 74th birthday, at least 26 dead including 5 children * Huge blaze breaks out at Russian oil facility in Samara Oblast * EU provides Ukraine 1.2 billion euros for drones and missiles * Russia carried out sabotage against Danish defense firms, intelligence says * Erdogan raises Black Sea safety in call with Putin At least 26 people have been killed in yet another Russian overnight mass missile and drone atta

War in Ukraine spreads across 3 different dimensions

Any war is not that simple and has many angles, but Russia's war in Ukraine is becoming more difficult each day. And not only because of its constant intensity, but because of its complexity. In the next few months, we will see three concrete, distinctive tracks of Russia's war in Ukraine developing separately and very differently from each other. You will see a lot of different, mixed news that will be hard to put together into one picture, but we need to accept that the war is changing, and

Recruits undergo Basic Military Training at the 118th Separate Mechanized Brigade in Ukraine on April 5, 2026.

About Russia

The Kyiv Independent’s coverage of news on Russia. Spanning eleven time zones across Eastern Europe and Asia, Russia has an estimated population of 146 million people. Russia’s capital city is Moscow, which is home to almost one in 10 Russians. Russia’s official currency is the Russian Ruble.

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