In 2024, Russia’s total defense expenditures surged by 42% in real terms, reaching 13.1 trillion rubles. When adjusted for purchasing power parity (PPP)—which accounts for differences in what money can buy in different countries—this amounts to $462 billion, according to the data by the International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS), the Financial Times reported.
By comparison, total defense spending across Europe, including the U.K. and EU member states, increased by nearly 12% last year to $457 billion, slightly trailing Moscow’s budget.
I wonder if the missiles are being constructed at all. Ukraine has been getting really good at shooting them down. So large waves of missiles are required to overwhelm their defenses.
Ukraine has also made the logistics of launching them more challenging. Planes and storage locations have to be stored much further away. The remaining ships in the black sea are hiding in port afraid to come out and play with Ukraine’s drones.
I wonder if the Russian did an analysis and decided that it was better to put money and energy into making more drones.