Lieutenant General Kyrylo Budanov, Head of Defence Intelligence of Ukraine (DIU), has reported that Russia plans to spend about US$1.1 trillion on rearmament by 2036.

Source: Lieutenant General Kyrylo Budanov at a panel discussion during the annual meeting of Ukrainian ambassadors Intelligence, Security, Diplomacy: a Common Strategy for Victory; Mezha Media, a technology and IT news platform within Ukrainska Pravda’s holding company

Details: Budanov stressed that this is Russia’s largest arms programme since the collapse of the Soviet Union.

“There is a total mobilisation of politics, economy and society of the Russian Federation to be ready for the upcoming large-scale war,” said Kyrylo Budanov.

DIU added that as part of the military reform, two new military districts have already been created in Moscow and Leningrad, and new divisions, formations and military units are planned to be formed.

“Russia is seeking to destroy the current security and economic order. For this purpose, Moscow is increasing its presence in Africa, primarily using its proxy forces: Wagner and Africa Corps private military companies, as well as supporting authoritarian regimes and terrorist organisations around the world,” said Kyrylo Budanov.

DIU reports that the Russians are also trying to conduct hybrid information and cyber operations on the territory of other states, interfering in the civilised democratic process through controlled media and public leaders.

“Moscow aims to impose its own vision of the future world order on countries, where ‘great’ powers, primarily the Russian Federation, have full power, monopoly on all critical resources and decide the world’s fate in a closed circle,” Budanov stressed.

Background: In spring, the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) published data showing that Russia’s military spending reached US$149 billion last year, an increase of 38% compared to the year before.

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