The Kremlin wants to hide the scale of military spending from Russians
Russian state-run and pro-government media outlets have received guidelines on how to cover the 2027 budget proposal. Journalists are advised to focus on pensions, social benefits, schools, and kindergartens, but to avoid mentioning the sharp increase in defense spending and cuts to funding for a number of civilian sectors.
Russian state-run and pro-government media outlets have received guidelines on how to inform their audiences about the country’s 2027 budget. Meduza has reviewed the document. According to the publication, the guidelines advise journalists to frame the budget primarily in terms of social benefits and government promises. Key topics include pensions, support for the population, and the construction of schools and kindergartens.
At the same time, the draft budget includes a significant increase in defense spending. This topic, as “Meduza” notes, is virtually not mentioned in the guidelines.
What to Focus On
The materials for pro-government media suggest emphasizing that the state will allegedly continue to fulfill its social obligations. As an example, journalists are advised to report on pension indexation. In 2027, Russian authorities plan to raise insurance pensions twice—in February and April. According to the Russian Ministry of Finance, this involves a 6.8% increase in February and another 3.3% increase in April.
Another topic recommended for use in reports is the construction of schools and kindergartens. The guidelines mention plans through 2030, under which Russia is set to build another 150 schools and over a hundred kindergartens. Journalists are also encouraged to compare Russia’s budget deficit with those of European countries. Specifically, the guidelines cite France, the United Kingdom, and Germany.
According to the Russian government’s plan, the budget deficit in 2027 will amount to about 2% of GDP. The guidelines suggest highlighting that this figure is allegedly higher in other countries.
They advise against discussing military spending
At the same time, the draft budget for 2027 includes record-high defense spending—about 17.1 trillion rubles. This represents approximately 35% of total budget expenditures and is 27% higher than what was projected in previous plans for the same year. If funding for other security agencies is added to defense spending, the share of the entire security sector—according to Alexandra Prokopenko, a senior research fellow at the Carnegie Berlin Center—could reach 44% of the expenditures included in the draft budget.
At the same time, funding for some civilian sectors is, conversely, being cut. According to Reuters data cited by Meduza, spending on social policy is decreasing by 7%, on education by 6%, and on healthcare by 6.8% compared to last year’s plans. Spending under the “National Economy” category is also being cut by 7.4%. This category includes, in particular, road construction, infrastructure projects, and support for specific industries. In other words, this is not just about an increase in military spending. At the same time, the Russian budget allocates fewer funds to a number of civilian sectors.
Journalists are advised to use official statements
According to “Meduza,” officials in the Russian presidential administration did not limit themselves to written recommendations. Employees of media outlets loyal to the government were allegedly told verbally that they should not act “on their own initiative” when covering the budget. They were advised to use press releases and statements from the Russian government as the basis for their reports. This applies not only to news about the budget but also to forecasts regarding its impact on the economy.
Journalists were also reportedly told specifically whom they could contact for comments. Among the recommended experts were representatives of the Financial University under the Government of Russia, the Russian Presidential Academy of National Economy and Public Administration (RANEPA), and the Higher School of Economics. “Meduza” notes that one of these experts has already commented on the draft budget for a Russian state television channel. He described the document as generally positive and, among other things, spoke specifically about social benefits and the upcoming indexation of pensions.
What Russia’s Budget Envisages
The Russian government submitted the draft budget for 2027–2029 to the State Duma on September 30. A deficit is projected for all three years—expenditures are expected to exceed revenues. For 2027, Russia’s revenue is projected at about 43.3 trillion rubles, while expenditures are projected at approximately 48.8 trillion. Thus, the difference between the two will amount to about 5.5 trillion rubles.
The main focus of spending remains on defense and security. The Russian Ministry of Finance has identified meeting defense and security needs as one of the budget’s strategic priorities. Against this backdrop, the government plans to cut certain civilian expenditures while simultaneously seeking additional sources of revenue. These include raising certain taxes and other changes to the tax system.
According to Meduza, Russian pro-government media are being advised to frame the new budget primarily in terms of social promises and deficit figures. At the same time, journalists are advised not to focus their reports on the scale of military spending or funding cuts in a number of civilian sectors.
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