Russia is preparing for a long-term multi-year war against Ukraine, significantly increasing its defense spending. According to British intelligence, this is evidenced by documents from the Russian Ministry of Finance, which indicate that in 2024, the Kremlin plans to allocate one-third of the total state budget to the war effort.

"Documents, apparently leaked from Russia’s Finance Ministry, suggests that Russia’s defence spending is set to surge to approximately 30 per cent of total public expenditure in 2024. The ministry proposes a defence budget of 10.8 trillion roubles, equivalent to approximately 6 per cent of GDP and a 68 per cent increase over 2023," says the British Ministry of Defense report.

The intelligence agency believes that Russia will be able to sustain this level of defense spending until 2024, in part by reducing expenditures on other state needs.

In the UK Ministry of Defense, it is noted that the full details of Russia's defense spending are classified. However, even the leaked figures suggest that Russia is preparing for many years of military action in Ukraine.