Kathrine Frich
States at war always face a stark economic trade-off between military spending and everyday living standards.
History shows that when resources are redirected to conflict, ordinary citizens are often left to absorb the consequences.
In Russia, that reality surfaced unusually clearly this week after a state-linked radio broadcast offered a blunt explanation for why millions are struggling to make ends meet.
The remarks, aired on a major Kremlin-aligned station, and they stood out for their candour in a tightly controlled media environment.
Unexpected admission
Russian state radio has openly linked falling living standards to the war in Ukraine, an acknowledgement rarely heard on official airwaves.
According to dialog.ua, the comments were made during a live broadcast on Komsomolskaya Pravda radio, where presenters discussed chronic staff shortages and persistently low wages across the public sector.
Ivan Pankin, head of the station’s state-sector coverage, talked about the growing lack of doctors, police officers, utility workers, electricians and janitors, despite strong demand for their labour.
Low pay reality
Pankin questioned why workers essential to the functioning of cities and social services continue to earn what he described as meagre salaries.
He asked how authorities intend to resolve the staffing crisis when pay levels remain unattractive and living costs continue to rise.
The discussion marked a rare moment in which systemic economic problems were addressed directly rather than attributed to external pressure or sanctions alone.
Blunt explanation
The most striking remarks came from invited economic commentator Dmitry Prokofiev, who offered an unusually frank assessment of state priorities.
“They receive little not because the government is greedy, but because the government understands that in order for stores to have full shelves, some of the population should not buy it all,” he said.
Prokofiev added that Russia has a single priority sector that receives funding without limits, with high salaries and no financing shortfalls.
Guns over butter
While not named explicitly, the sector he referred to was clearly the military and defence industry.
“So that those who work there can consume it all, the rest must save,” Prokofiev said.
The comments amounted to an on-air admission that national resources are being channelled toward the war effort, while civilian sectors are left underfunded.
Prokofiev also suggested that Russian industry, in its current condition, cannot sustain high consumer demand, reinforcing the need for enforced frugality among the wider population.
Such open statements are very uncommon in Russian state media, where economic hardship is typically downplayed.
Sources: dialog.ua, Komsomolskaya Pravda Radio, LA.
