Russia plans to postpone December military pay until January amid widening budget deficit
Russia's Defense Ministry has proposed postponing December salary payments for military personnel until January, ending a practice that has been in place for at least 18 years, according to independent Russian outlet Verstka and Bloomberg.
Under a draft order, December payments would be made between January 11 and 21, beginning this year. Military personnel fighting in Ukraine would be exempt and would continue receiving their December pay by December 25.
The change has not yet been approved.
Under existing regulations, Russian military personnel generally receive their monthly pay the following month, but December has been an exception, with payments made before the end of the year. Verstka traced that practice through military regulations dating back to at least 2008, with similar arrangements in place during the Soviet era.
The proposed change comes as Russia faces a widening budget deficit driven in part by rising war-related spending.
According to Bloomberg, Russian government expenditure is expected to reach 48.5 trillion rubles ($602 billion) this year, roughly 10% above the original budget plan.
The annual deficit is projected to reach 7.3 trillion rubles, equivalent to 3.2% of GDP, up from an estimate of approximately 2.2% in September.
Moving December military payments into January could help Moscow manage its year-end cash flow by shifting some spending into the next fiscal year.
Russia's Defense Ministry did not immediately respond to Bloomberg's request for comment.
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