Russian regions drowning in debt due to war - CPD
Kyiv • UNN
56 out of 83 regions of the Russian Federation have a budget deficit, which is ten times more than at the beginning of the war. The Kremlin has reduced support for the regions, shifting defense spending onto them.
More than half of Russia's regions entered 2026 with a budget deficit. Over four years of war, their number has increased almost tenfold. This is reported by the Center for National Resistance of the Special Operations Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine (CNR), informs UNN.
Details
It is noted that based on the results of the first quarter of 2026, 56 out of 83 regions of the Russian Federation were "in the red," whereas at the beginning of the full-scale invasion in 2022, there were only six such regions.
The budget crisis has reached the most remote corners of Russia. The most difficult situation is in the Jewish Autonomous Region, Kuzbass, Vologda Oblast, and the Komi Republic
They emphasize that the Kremlin, channeling colossal resources into the war, has radically cut support for regions from the central budget, instead "placing" an additional financial burden on regional authorities. Thus, the subjects of the Russian Federation must now cover defense needs at their own expense, pay million-dollar "death benefits" and "signing bonuses" to mobilized personnel, and finance projects in the temporarily occupied territories.
"Residents of the Russian hinterland are already paying for the Kremlin's imperial ambitions with their quality of life. To make ends meet, regions are massively cutting spending on road repairs, education, healthcare, and other civilian programs. This will inevitably lead to a deep degradation of infrastructure and the social sphere throughout Russia," predict at the CPD.
Recall
According to Ukrainian intelligence, the volume of overdue accounts receivable in the Russian corporate sector exceeded 117.5 billion dollars. The biggest payment problems are recorded in the mining, manufacturing industries, and trade.