According to the Federal Intelligence Service of Germany (BND), Russia's actual military spending in recent years has been up to 66% higher than indicated in its official defense budget, reports LETA citing DPA.
The BND indicates that official defense expenditures do not include items such as construction projects of the Ministry of Defense, military IT programs, and social payments to military personnel. These items are reflected in other sections of the budget.
According to the BND, one of the factors contributing to the discrepancy is the fundamentally different interpretation of the concept of defense spending in Russia compared to NATO's interpretation. Furthermore, official Russian data on military expenditures is often distorted and requires critical assessment.
According to intelligence, since February 2022, when Russia invaded Ukraine again, its defense budget has been rapidly increasing each year.
The agency estimates that Russia's military spending reached approximately 250 billion euros last year, which constitutes about half of the state budget and roughly 10% of the gross domestic product (GDP).
In comparison, in 2022, Russia's military spending was about 6% of GDP, rising to 6.7% in 2023, and to 8.5% in 2024, the BND notes.
According to the intelligence analysis, funds are directed not only towards the war against Ukraine but also towards expanding military capabilities, especially in regions close to NATO's eastern flank.
The German intelligence service emphasizes that this data represents concrete evidence of the growing threat that Russia poses to Europe.
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