Ukraine's daily war spending hits $172 million amid Russian invasion
Photo: Ukrainian Parliament estimates Ukraine's daily war costs (flickr.com National Bank of Ukraine)
Ukraine spends $172 million daily on the war against Russia. This is $30 million more than last year, reports Roksolana Pidlasa, Member of the Verkhovna Rada (Ukrainian Parliament) and Chair of the Budget Committee.
"Exactly one year ago, I was standing in this room, and I told you that 1 day of war costs Ukraine’s state budget 140 million US dollars. Now it costs 172 million every day," Pidlasa said.
She added that this figure includes salaries for service members, ammunition, and weapons.
"But also something you might not expect when thinking about the cost of war. Ukraine continues to provide financial support for injured soldiers, those missing in action, and the families of the fallen," she explained.
Pidlasa said Ukraine spends 31% of its GDP on defense, the highest rate in the world.
"You might argue that Ukraine's GDP is not that high. Which is true, but it's worth mentioning that Ukraine was robbed of ELEVEN YEARS of growth by Russia. First, we managed to recover our 2013 peace-time GDP level in 2021, and then AGAIN in 2024 after the devastation of the full-scale invasion," she added.
Ukraine's war spending
Earlier this year, RBC-Ukraine reported that Ukraine bears the heaviest military burden in the world. Its military spending as a share of GDP reached 34% in 2024, compared with 3.8% in 2015.
On September 13, Ukraine's Defense Minister, Denys Shmyhal, outlined the projected cost of survival for the country in 2026.
