In a defence update on Sunday, British Intelligence said that leaks from Russian finance ministry suggest that the Kremlin is preparing for a long war.
Britain’s intelligence reported, “Documents, apparently leaked from Russia’s Finance Ministry, suggests that Russia’s defence spending is set to surge to approximately 30 per cent of total public expenditure in 2024.” The report added, “The ministry proposes a defence budget of 10.8 trillion roubles, equivalent to approximately 6 per cent of GDP and a 68 per cent increase over 2023.”
UK’s defence ministry said Russia can support this high level of defence spending through 2024 at cost of the wider economy. “Full details on Russian defence spending are always classified, but these figures suggest that Russia is preparing for multiple further years of fighting in Ukraine. This follows public comments by Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu on 27 September 2023, suggesting he was prepared for the conflict to continue into 2025,” British intelligence said.