Russias spending on military personnel reached a record 2 trillion rubles ($25.68 billion) in the first half of 2025, according to new quotes from Re: Russia, an analytical platform run by banished Russian academics.The surge in costs driven by enlistment bonuses, incomes and settlement for wounded soldiers and bereaved households shows the Kremlins determination to keep waging its war in Ukraine at any cost.Between January and June, federal and local budget plans designated an estimated 400 billion rubles ($5.14 billion) for enlistment benefits, 865 billion rubles ($11.11 billion) for military salaries and 765 billion rubles ($9.82 billion) in payments to households of the dead and wounded.If the current pace of costs continues, overall personnel costs are projected to go beyond 4 trillion rubles ($51.36 billion) by years end.That figure would represent roughly 9.5% of all prepared federal government costs in 2025 and represent about 2% of Russias gdp (GDP).
These figures mark a steep rise from last year, with workers costs expected to increase by 1 trillion rubles ($12.84 billion) year-on-year.
The uptick comes as the Russian federal government uses progressively attractive financial rewards to replenish its ranks in the face of continual battleground losses.According to Re: Russia, approximately 200,000 brand-new military contracts have been transferred the past six months.An effective commercial contract for war stays a crucial factor making it possible for Vladimir Putin to carry out offensive campaigns in Ukraine for a second consecutive year, regardless of incredibly high losses and minimal concrete gains in regards to recorded territory, the experts argue.Security Council Deputy Chairman Dmitry Medvedev just recently applauded the pace of recruitment as quite decent, great, including that he expects it to stay steady.But the expense of maintaining troop levels has actually featured a heavy human toll.According to quotes by The Economist, Russian battleground casualties between May 1 and July 9 might have reached around 31,000, making it the deadliest stretch of the war so far this year.Overall casualty approximates considering that the intrusion started variety from 900,000 to 1.3 million, including in between 190,000 and 350,000 deaths or irreversible injuries, based upon Western intelligence and independent analyses.