Russian regions have slashed payments to families of soldiers killed in Ukraine by up to 20 times – Bloomberg
Due to a shortage of budget funds, Russian regions are cutting or scrapping payments to the families of Russian military personnel killed in the war against Ukraine.
Source: Bloomberg
Details: A source at the Russian government told Bloomberg that more than 10 regions have cut assistance related to participation in the war due to lack of funds and insufficient compensation from the federal budget.
In Bashkortostan, payments to the families of soldiers killed in Ukraine have been repeatedly cut, falling from RUB 2 million (about US$24,415) in September 2025 to RUB 100,000 (US$1,220) by the end of April 2026. This represents a 20-fold reduction in regional assistance.
Saratov Oblast has reduced the equivalent payment by 90%, from RUB 1 million (about US$12,200) to RUB 100,000. Samara Oblast has abolished the RUB 1 million payment altogether for families submitting new applications. The local authorities said the decision had been made because of the need to balance the budget and eliminate duplication of social support measures.
However, the main federal payment in the event of a serviceman's death remains unchanged at RUB 5 million (about US$61,000) per family. The cuts are being made to additional regional assistance.
When Russia launched its full-scale invasion, regional authorities competed to offer military personnel the most generous financial incentives. That race has now come to an end as regional authorities seek to rein in spending, including on social programmes.
In 2025, the combined deficit of Russia's regional budgets reached RUB 1.54 trillion (US$18.8 billion). A total of 73 regions ended the year with a deficit, compared with 49 the previous year.
Background: In July, it was reported that Russia's 2026 federal budget spending and deficit could exceed official projections by more than RUB 1 trillion (US$12.85 billion).
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