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Russia’s 2027 Budget Under Scrutiny as Auditors Flag $288 Billion in Spending Discrepancies
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Russia’s draft federal budget for 2027–2029 contains major inconsistencies, unsupported revenue projections, and large pools of unallocated spending, Ukraine’s Foreign Intelligence Service reported on October 22.
According to the service, Russia’s Accounts Chamber found that budget justifications covering $288.24 billion, or 77% of the open portion of 2027 federal spending, did not match the parameters of the draft budget. The documents also lacked calculations for 13 revenue categories worth a combined $9.72 billion.
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More than 35% of measures and planned outcomes under Russian state programs would be assessed only on whether they were formally completed, without quantitative measures of effectiveness. Programs without specific performance criteria account for $64.71 billion in planned spending in 2027 and $81.18 billion in 2029.
Around 85% of reserved funds have not been allocated to specific areas of spending, while auditors also identified problems with investment programs and project preparation.
Russia’s debt-servicing costs are projected to rise 45.7% from the expected 2026 level to $66.82 billion by 2029. That would account for 10.5% of federal expenditure and leave fewer resources available for other state needs.
The draft budget also lacks a complete distribution of intergovernmental transfers to Russia’s regions. Ukraine’s Foreign Intelligence Service assessed that the opacity surrounding state finances allows Moscow to continue prioritizing both its war against Ukraine and opaque handling of public funds.
The findings come as pressure on Russia’s federal finances mounts from the war’s costs, weaker energy revenues, and rising borrowing needs. Earlier in October, Ukraine’s Foreign Intelligence Service reported that Russia’s budget deficit had reached $61.08 billion in the first nine months of 2026, already 37% above the Kremlin’s original full-year target, while oil and gas revenues fell 17.2%.
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