Russian war spending keeps rising while some regions slash death benefits for soldiers’ families by up to 95%
In the fifth year of its full-scale invasion of Ukraine, Russia is spending more on its military and looking for new ways to fund the war. In recent months, however, several Russian regions have sharply cut payments to the families of those killed in the war. Here are a few examples.
Russia's military spending continues to soar while some regions reduce death benefits for soldiers' families by up to 95%, according to recent reports. The ongoing full-scale invasion of Ukraine has prompted Moscow to seek new sources of funding for its war efforts.
In Ulyanovsk region, payments to families of soldiers killed in the conflict were slashed from 1 million rubles to 500,000 in February 2026, further reduced to 50,000 in April. Similarly, in Kemerovo region, the payment was cut to a third of its original amount in February, from 3 million rubles to 1 million. In Omsk region, the monthly support for bereaved families was reduced from 1 million rubles to 500,000 in February.
Bashkortostan region also saw a significant decrease, with the payment cut to a fifth of its previous level in May, from 500,000 rubles to 100,000. Saratov region followed suit, reducing the benefit to a tenth of its original amount in late September, from 1 million rubles to 100,000.
These drastic reductions in death benefits for soldiers' families have raised concerns about the humanitarian impact of Russia's military actions. The Kremlin is under scrutiny for prioritizing military spending over support for families affected by the war.
Written by urgent.news from Meduza (English)'s reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
