Hundreds of millions for war and its aftermath. The cost of the ‘special military operation’ for Russian northerners

Assistance to the “sponsored” republics, payments to the mobilized and their families and the purchase of housing for Ukrainian refugees make up an incomplete list of expenses incurred by Russian regions because of the war in Ukraine. The Barents Observer has calculated that the northern regions earmark hundreds of millions of rubles in their deficit budgets for the “special military operation”.

“Sponsors are helping Melitopol to prepare for the winter period” was a headline that appeared on the official social media page of the occupation authorities of the Ukrainian city in the middle of July. The amount was also mentioned: 800 million rubles. For comparison, it’s about as much as the Arkhangelsk region allocated in its 2023 budget for the construction and reconstruction of drinking water supply facilities.