Classified expense provisions of the Russian budget in 2023 have now exceeded 3 trillion rubles (€34.77 billion), The Bell tally based on open-source data shows.
In total, the Russian budget’s expenditure in 2023 stands at 11.9 trillion rubles (€138 billion), while only 8.8 trillion rubles (€102 billion) worth of expenses are broken down into specific categories. The outstanding 3.1 trillion rubles (€36 billion) is classified expenses, The Bell notes.
Most of the confidential budget expense articles cover defence, national security and law enforcement. However, there are now also expenses indirectly related to the Ukraine war, economist Alexandra Osmolovskaya-Suslina told Bloomberg. In particular, these expenses can include funds allocated to the Russia-occupied territories of Ukraine.