Jens Asbjørn Bøgen
The expenses has gone up millions of dollars per day compared to last year.
The expenses has gone up millions of dollars per day compared to last year.
More than 3½ years of war
Since Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022, Western nations have provided Ukraine with both military and financial aid to hold off the Russian aggression.
But with the war closing in on four years, the costs, both human and financial, are sky-high – and with no peace in sight, Ukraine prepares for another war-torn year in 2026.
Plan A and Plan B
Speaking at a press conference in Kyiv alongside European Parliament President Roberta Metsola, Ukrainian President Zelensky made it clear that peace remains the priority, but financial planning must also cover the worst-case scenario.
And plan B comes with a pricetag of $120 billion dollars.
Needed to keep the defense going
The staggering amount is what Ukraine needs to keep defending itself against the Russian invasion for a year.
And diving into the numbers, you understand why every day of war takes a financial toll on the war-torn country.
Daily costs reach $172 million in 2025
Roksolana Pidlasa, head of Ukraine’s parliamentary Budget Committee, revealed that a single day of war now costs Ukraine $172 million—up from $140 million per day in 2024.
These expenses include everything from soldier salaries to medical costs and compensation for the families of the fallen.
That’s not all
On top of the $120 billion needed to run the country for another year, Ukraine expects another $60 billion in promised foreign military aid.
Zelensky emphasized the need for international understanding:
“You have to understand the magnitude of this problem. That’s why we talk so much about these resources.”
Defense Minister warns: Underfunding means losing lives
Former Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal, now serving as Defense Minister, delivered a stark warning.
“If we spend less money than Russia, then we will pay with our territories and, most importantly, with our lives,” he said.
Can only find half themselves
Of the $120 billion dollars needed to sustain Ukraine for another year of war, half of that – $60 billion – can be covered by Ukraine’s domestic budget.
The remaining $60 billion will have to come from international partners and donors.
Military expenses dominate Ukraine’s budget
According to Zelensky, nearly all of Ukraine’s tax revenues are now directed toward military spending.
This leaves the country dependent on foreign aid to cover essential non-military government functions, including healthcare, education, and infrastructure.
Putin pays much more
In the beginning of the war, estimates suggested that Russia spent somewhere between $500 million and $1 billion on the war – every day.
This amount comes from the cost of wages for Russian soldiers (of which there is more than 700,000 in Ukraine right now, according to Putin), logistics, production of munitions and repairs.
41 % of Russias budget
According Ukraine’s military intelligence chief Kyrylo Budanov, Russia is spending $1 billion dollars on the war every day in 2025.
He also said that a staggering 41 % of the Russian state budget is allocated to defense and national security.
This article is made and published by Jens Asbjørn Bogen, which may have used AI in the preparation
