According to preliminary data from the Finance Ministry cited by The Moscow Times, the deficit increased by 1.2 trillion rubles ($15 billion) in July alone, and expenditures jumped to 3.9 trillion rubles ($49 billion).
This data shows Russia’s war machine consuming the state itself. Unlike previous conflicts, Moscow can’t fund this war indefinitely — and Western allies now have concrete proof that sustained pressure works.
Russia’s budget meltdown by the numbers
The new figures reveal a grim picture of stagnation, overspending, and war-at-all-costs priorities. According to Reuters, government spending rose more than 20% in the first seven months of 2025, while revenues grew just 2.8%. That gap is mainly driven by ballooning military costs.
What makes the alarm even more telling is that the warning comes directly from Russia’s central bank: it now forecasts zero growth by December, down from 4.5% last year.
So far this year, Russia has spent 25.2 trillion rubles ($320 billion) — a staggering increase from pre-war spending levels when the annual federal budget totaled around $220 billion in 2021.
Why do civilian sectors collapse first?
As Bloomberg reports, signs of crisis are now visible across different sectors, as coal mining companies suffer losses, oil, gas, and metallurgy companies see a decline in profits. The automotive industry significantly cuts production due to weak demand.
Productivity in civilian sectors is falling fast. The Moscow Times reported in July that Russian car makers have all shifted to a four-day work week to preserve existing jobs due to diminishing demand, high interest rates, and a lack of affordable financing tools for buyers.
Russia’s aviation industry, once a symbol of national pride, has delivered just one of 15 promised passenger aircraft this year.
Sanctions, oil price caps, and labor shortages are eroding Russia’s economic foundation — yet Moscow shows no intention of scaling back its invasion. A recession with consequences far beyond Russia’s borders now looms.
What this means for Ukraine’s war strategy
The signs are clear: Western sanctions, shifting energy markets, and export controls are having an impact. But they’re not enough on their own. The Kremlin is willing to sacrifice every civilian sector to keep the war machine running.
That’s why Ukraine’s battlefield resilience — and sustained Western support — remain essential. Economic pressure may hurt Russia, but it won’t stop the war on its own.
For Western policymakers, these numbers prove that economic pressure is working, but they also show why military aid remains crucial to finish what sanctions started. Russia’s budget crisis gives Ukraine a strategic window, but only if allies simultaneously maintain economic and military pressure.