Authorities in Far Eastern Russia’s Primorye region warned residents on Tuesday that they may face delays in receiving government benefits as the regional budget comes under strain from spending on the war against Ukraine.
“Under these conditions, individual social support measures will be funded in stages, so some transfers may occur with temporary delays,” the regional labor and social policy ministry said in a statement posted on Telegram.
Officials did not say how long the delays would last, promising only that all social obligations would be fulfilled “as the necessary funding arrives.”
The announcement comes a week after the Primorye region’s legislative assembly slashed this year’s regional budget by 3.8 billion rubles ($47.1 million) across 18 state programs, including healthcare, affordable housing, education and social support.
Those cuts coincided with 1.5 billion rubles ($18.6 million) being added to the regional reserve fund to support specific groups of people affiliated with the war in Ukraine, like veterans and the families of service members.
Around one in three people in Primorye, a region of 1.8 million, rely on state support across 97 different programs.
Soaring spending on the war continues to strain both the federal government’s budget and those of regions across the country.
Nationwide, Russia’s 2026 budget deficit is expected to reach a record 7.345 trillion rubles (88 billion), nearly twice the previous forecast of 3.785 trillion rubles (45 billion). That new projection represents 3.2% of GDP compared to the previous target of 1.6%.
President Vladimir Putin said last month that the size of Russia’s budget deficit poses no “critical” risk for the economy and that officials will do everything to keep it under control.
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