Yehor Bozhok, the head of the Foreign Intelligence Service, claims that international sanctions have caused Russia a USD 173 billion loss.
He said this in an interview with the Ukrinform state news agency, Ukrainian News Agency reports.
"Over the past four years, international sanctions that Putin calls "ridiculous" have deprived the Russian budget of USD 173 billion. These are internal calculations of the Russian government at the end of 2018, which they do not make publish," said Bozhok.
According to him, military operations abroad are the only way for the Russian authorities to maintain prestige within the country.
As Ukrainian News Agency earlier reported, Bozhok said that Russia had allocated USD 350 million to its intelligence to intervene in elections in Ukraine this year.
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