Kremlin again saving regions from debt crisis: more than half billion dollars written of - FIS
The russian government has decided to write off budget debts of six more regions in the total amount of RUB 37.5 billion, which is equivalent to approximately USD 525 million. The Foreign Intelligence Service of Ukraine believes that in this way the Kremlin is trying to prevent the financial collapse of individual subjects of the federation.
According to FIS, the Republic of Sakha (Yakutia), Tatarstan, Khabarovsk Krai, as well as the Vladimir, Kurgan and Omsk Oblasts have been relieved of debt obligations.
The intelligence agency notes that the situation with regional finances in russia continues to deteriorate. According to forecasts by the russian Ministry of Finance, in 2026 the total deficit of regional budgets may reach RUB 1.9 trillion, or about USD 26.6 billion. At the same time, more than 20 regions of the country have already been officially recognized as financially problematic.
Among the reasons for this situation are the reduction in tax revenues, the growth of social spending and the increase in the burden due to financing the war, part of the costs of which the federal government transfers to local budgets.
The FIS recalled that the practice of writing off debts for the regions of the russian federation has become regular. In 2025, 58 regions used this mechanism, which allowed them to reduce their debt by about USD 3.2 billion.
In 2026 alone, according to intelligence, the Kremlin has already written off debts to 54 regions in the amount of about USD 2.4 billion.
"In fact, the Kremlin is forced to conduct mass financial pardons of its own subjects every year so that they do not announce a default on live broadcast," the Foreign Intelligence Service emphasized.
The department believes that the increasing dependence of regions on the federal center indicates systemic problems in the russian economy. Debt cancellation provides temporary relief, but does not eliminate the causes of the budget crisis, which is intensifying against the backdrop of growing military spending.
As Ukrainian News Agency earlier reported, the Defense Intelligence of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine has obtained documents from closed reports on the losses of russian occupiers in the war against Ukraine, which are estimated at 1 million 315 thousand killed and seriously wounded.