Russian Regions Slash Payments to Families of Soldiers Killed in Ukraine, Bloomberg Reports
More than 10 Russian regions have cut or scrapped additional payments to the families of soldiers killed in the war against Ukraine as regional budgets run short, with some reductions reaching twentyfold.
By Lorenzo Evans ·
Russian regions are reducing or eliminating payments to the families of military personnel killed in the war against Ukraine because of a shortage of budget funds, Bloomberg has reported.
A source in the Russian government told the news agency that more than 10 regions have scaled back assistance linked to participation in the war, citing a lack of money and insufficient compensation from the federal budget.
Bashkortostan has seen the steepest cuts. Payments to the families of soldiers killed in Ukraine have been reduced repeatedly, falling from 2 million rubles, about US$24,415, in September 2025 to just 100,000 rubles, or roughly US$1,220, by the end of April 2026. That amounts to a twentyfold decrease in regional assistance.
Saratov Oblast has cut the equivalent payment by 90 percent, lowering it from 1 million rubles, about US$12,200, to 100,000 rubles. Samara Oblast has gone further, scrapping its 1 million ruble payment entirely for families submitting new applications. Local authorities there said the decision was driven by the need to balance the budget and to eliminate duplication of social support measures.
The main federal payment made when a serviceman is killed remains unchanged at 5 million rubles, about US$61,000, per family. The reductions affect only the additional assistance that regions provide on top of that sum.
When Russia launched its full scale invasion of Ukraine, regional authorities competed with one another to offer military personnel the most generous financial incentives. That race has now ended, as regional governments move to rein in spending, including on social programmes.
The financial strain is visible in official figures. In 2025, the combined deficit of Russia's regional budgets reached 1.54 trillion rubles, or US$18.8 billion. A total of 73 regions finished the year with a deficit, up from 49 the year before.
In July, it was reported that Russia's 2026 federal budget spending and deficit could exceed official projections by more than 1 trillion rubles, about US$12.85 billion.
