(KRASNODAR, RUSSIA) – Russian motorists are enduring kilometre long queues and empty pumps across southern regions as the Kremlin prepares to channel a record 17.1 trillion Russian rubles (approximately $203 billion or £153 billion) into military spending for 2027, according to government budget documents cited by Reuters.
Drivers in Krasnodar, Crimea and southern Russia report spending hours searching for gasoline, with prices rising daily and stations displaying signs reading simply “No fuel.” The shortages have transformed what was once marketed as an energy superpower into a nation of frustrated motorists navigating a Soviet era phenomenon: the endless queue.
Budget proposals reveal that Russia’s defence allocation for 2027 represents a 27 percent increase over initial estimates and the highest figure since the full scale invasion of Ukraine began in 2022. Over the next three years, military expenditure is projected to reach approximately 50 trillion rubles (around $592 billion or £447 billion).
Yet the Kremlin’s financial position is deteriorating. The budget deficit forecast for 2026 has doubled from 1.6 percent to 3.2 percent of GDP. Projected oil and gas revenues have been slashed from 8.9 trillion to 7.6 trillion rubles. The National Welfare Fund is being tapped aggressively to plug fiscal holes, with approximately 11 percent of its liquid portion already deployed.
Public debt is expected to reach 21.7 percent of GDP in 2027, surpassing the 20 percent threshold authorities consider safe. Total borrowing for 2027 will increase by 43 percent to 7.7 trillion rubles (approximately $91 billion or £69 billion).
The fuel shortages have prompted drastic measures. The Stavropol Krai governor urged officials to walk or cycle to conserve fuel, while the Leningrad Region imposed identical fuel limits on government officials as ordinary residents. In the Rostov Region, Cossacks have been stationed at petrol stations to maintain order, with the regional governor demanding they not “interfere with the operational process”.
Meanwhile, Russian state television has adopted a triumphant tone regarding strikes on Ukrainian territory. Chief television commentator Vladimir Solovyov urged viewers to appreciate the scale of destruction, listing targets that included warehouses storing carbonated water and production facilities for semi finished goods. The commentator expressed particular satisfaction regarding destroyed factories belonging to Western companies.
Any hypothetical negotiations, meanwhile, are immediately branded as attempts to deceive Russia, accompanied by the well worn slogan that Moscow “hasn’t even started yet.”
The juxtaposition is stark: as Russian citizens queue for rationed fuel, the Kremlin directs unprecedented sums toward military operations while state media celebrates the destruction of soft drink warehouses as evidence of national greatness.
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