On May 25, 2023, the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) reported that russian military spending grew by 9.2% in 2022 to $86.4 billion. SIPRI assesses this equates to 4.1% of russia’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP), the UK Defense Intelligence reports.
Read more: The UK Defense Intelligence Explained Smoke on Crimean Bridge on May 24
Russia’s true military spending is highly uncertain due to the increased use of classified budget lines, especially since February 2022, and the lack of transparency.
Russia has only recently resumed publishing headline expenditure breakdowns after suspending this in May 2022. It is almost certain that military spending remains elevated, and this is putting pressure on russian government finances.
As Defense Express reported, Escalating AWOL Cases in russian Military Are Being Solved by Giving Suspended Sentences and Redeploying to War.
Read more: From Criticism to Compulsion: the Shifting Tone of Public Debate in Russia Amidst the War
