The defense ministry of Russia reported that it successfully thwarted Ukrainian attacks on the Novorossiysk naval base in the Black Sea overnight.
In response to the situation, Russia’s defense minister, Sergey Shoigu, visited Russian troops on the front line in Ukraine.
Additionally, Russia claimed to have shot down at least 13 Ukrainian drones over the Crimean Peninsula.
Amid the escalating costs of the conflict in Ukraine, Russia has reportedly revised its 2023 defense spending goal to exceed $100 billion, constituting around one-third of its total public expenditure. A government document examined by Reuters reveals this updated budget allocation, as specific financial data concerning the conflict is no longer publicly disclosed.
The disclosed figures provide insight into Russia’s financial commitment to the ongoing conflict in Ukraine. Notably, during the initial half of 2023, Russia’s defense spending surpassed its original target by 12 percent, amounting to 600 billion roubles ($6.4 billion) more than the initially allocated 4.98 trillion roubles ($53 billion) for the year.
These revelations highlight the substantial allocation of resources to defense, with the first half of 2023 witnessing defense expenditures of 5.59 trillion roubles ($58 billion) out of a total expenditure of 14.97 trillion roubles ($159 billion). The document indicates that Russia’s budget aims to allocate 17.1 percent of total funds to “national defense.”
Despite these disclosures, neither Russia’s government nor its finance ministry has responded to Reuters’ requests for commentary on the provided numbers.