Against the backdrop of rising expenditures on the war against Ukraine, the Russian government is reducing funding for road infrastructure, including the construction and repair of federal highways.
According to Ukrinform, Ukraine's Foreign Intelligence Service (SZRU) stated this on its website.
Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin has ordered an 11-billion-ruble cut in federal road maintenance spending this year, followed by another 20-billion-ruble reduction next year.
Overall, funding for road projects over the next six years — under which more than 2,000 kilometers of highways were planned to be built or modernized — will be reduced by RUB 100 billion.
The intelligence agency noted that Russian officials are manipulating statistics. While authorities reported a 14% increase in road construction and repair work last year, totaling 28,000 kilometers, only 220 kilometers of new federal highways were actually built. By comparison, China constructs around 26,000 kilometers of new roads annually.
