Ukraine now spends $190 million a day on war as defense costs outpace domestic resources
Ukraine is spending about $190 million a day on the war, up from $140 million in 2024, as rising military needs increasingly outpace the country's domestic financial resources.
Roksolana Pidlasa, head of the Ukrainian parliament's Budget Committee, said the figure does not include weapons and other in-kind military assistance provided by Ukraine's partners.
National security and defense spending reached nearly $42 billion in the first eight months of 2026, while Ukraine raised about $39 billion from its own resources, including budget revenues and domestic borrowing.
“The war has gotten so expensive that we can't even cover our share of the costs,” Pidlasa said.
At the same time, government revenues have fallen short of projections. Domestic and import VAT revenues missed their targets by $1.35 billion over the first eight months of the year, with a quarter of that shortfall recorded in August alone.
Pidlasa attributed the decline in part to Russian attacks targeting industries that generate revenue for the Ukrainian budget.
Meanwhile, Ukraine's military needs continue to grow. The country faces a $27 billion military funding gap through the end of the year, much of which is needed for weapons, according to Pidlasa.
She said Ukraine needs to invest in the development, procurement and production of weapons and ammunition, including medium- and long-range strike capabilities used against Russian oil refineries.
Pidlasa also said Russia was estimated to have spent a record $123 billion on its war against Ukraine in the first six months of 2026, while producing more missiles and drones than at any previous point during the full-scale invasion.
She argued that the growing financial pressure was another reason for the United States and Europe to act faster to force Russia to end the war.
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