On September 30, the Russian government submitted the draft state budget for 2025 to the State Duma. This was reported by TASS and other news outlets. 13.5 trillion rubles (20.86 trillion yen), approximately 1.3 times the 2024 budget, has been earmarked for military spending for weapons procurement and military operations. Military expenditures accounted for approximately 6.3% of gross domestic product (GDP), a new record high. Military spending accounted for about one-third of total expenditures (41.5 trillion rubles).

Russia’s military spending rose steadily from 4.7 trillion rubles in 2022, when it began its full-scale invasion of Ukraine, to 5 trillion rubles in 2023, and to 10.4 trillion rubles in 2024. Before the invasion, military spending as a percentage of GDP remained in the high 3% to low 4% range. As military spending increases, spending on education and social security continues to decline, and Russia is poised to use its national strength to achieve victory.

The reason for the increase in military spending is that, as the number of soldiers killed or injured on the battlefields of Ukraine increases, the Russian Ministry of Defense is replenishing its military with contract soldiers who have been promised high salaries, and that the families of the dead and injured soldiers are It is thought that there will be an increase in the amount of ex-gratia payments.

In the 2025 budget proposal, a total of 16.7 trillion rubles is earmarked for defense-related spending, which is a combination of military spending and national security spending for internal security measures and intelligence. Defense-related expenditures accounted for approximately 40% of total expenditures. Revenue will be 40.3 trillion rubles, and the deficit will be covered by borrowings such as issuing government bonds. (Yuichi Onoda)