Russia must increase military spending by up to 70% because of the war that has been “unleashed against us,” Russian presidential spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Thursday.
Also Thursday, hundreds of flights were delayed at Moscow-area airports after what Russian officials described as a “massive cyberattack from abroad.”
The Russian Defense Ministry released documents saying defense spending could rise by more than 68% in 2024, to $111.15 billion. That’s about 6% of Russia’s GDP and represents more than the total spent on social programs, the Moscow Times said. Military spending is set to total about three times more than education, environmental protection and health care spending combined.
Russia’s Central Bank has warned that economic growth has slowed and inflation is rising above the bank’s target of 4%. But the Kremlin and President Vladimir Putin say they remain committed to the war and military spending at whatever the cost.
“It is obvious that such an increase is absolutely necessary, because we are in a state of hybrid war that has been unleashed against us,” Peskov said.
US tried to ‘trigger panic’:Russia accuses US in attack on Crimea base
Developments:
∎ Russian artillery pounded a residential area of Kherson on Thurdsay, killing three women as they walked down a street, Internal Affairs Minister Igor Klimenko said.
∎ The European Union Council agreed to extend temporary protection until March 2025 for more than 4 million Ukrainian refugees who fled to the EU since…
