Russia Plans 27% Rise in 2027 Defense Spending

Russia plans to spend 17.1 trillion rubles on defense in 2027, a 27% increase over the original allocation, while President Vladimir Putin has raised the authorized size of the armed forces by 15,500 personnel, according to government budget documents and a presidential decree. The planned budget would be the highest since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine began in 2022; the decree sets the authorized force at 2,441,630 people, including 1.55 million military personnel. The budget documents project 50 trillion rubles in defense spending over the three years from 2027. The 17.1 trillion-ruble figure is a plan, not a confirmed final appropriation. The draft budget was expected to be submitted to parliament by October 1, but the available information does not establish whether that submission occurred. The actual amount Russia will spend on defense in 2026 is classified, and some military-related costs may be recorded elsewhere in the state budget. The force increase was set out in a decree signed on September 28. It raises the authorized personnel total by 15,500 from the previous decree. The staffing figure is an authorized strength, not a count of troops currently serving.