Ballooning ‘black’ budget and leaked conversations: emerging cracks in Putin’s Russia | DW News

More than a year into Russia's invasion of Ukraine, signs continue to mount that Moscow is struggling under the weight of ballooning military spending. Moscow has consistently put on a brave face when it came to the country's economic health. But it's now classified or unlisted a third of the economic data coming out of the country. According to Russian Finance Ministery data unlisted or classified spending has doubled since last year, indicating around a third of the budget is likely connected to the war effort. 31 Billion dollars in total, dwarfing all other publicly listed government expenses. And Moscow's black budget is ballooning at a time of falling commodity prices, which make up the lion's share of Russia's earnings. Western sanctions also continue to bite according to Russia's president. 

At the same time, publicly criticizing Vladimir Putin's war on Ukraine can lead to harsh legal consequences. Most people prefer to voice their discontent in private. But one critical conversation between two prominent Russians has surfaced online.
 
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