Return of soldiers from front line is increasing instability: security costs for authorities are rising in Russian regions, - FISU
After the start of full-scale war, Russian regions significantly increased spending on security for governors, which in 2023–2025 consistently exceeded 100 million rubles annually.
This was reported by the Foreign Intelligence Service of Ukraine, according to Censor.NET.
Security for governors in Russia
Since the start of the full-scale war against Ukraine, Russian governors have significantly increased spending on their own security. While 59.7 million rubles were spent on security in 2021, the amount rose to a record 119.7 million in 2023. In 2024–2025, spending remained consistently high, at over 100 million rubles per year.
Security for regional and provincial leaders
The number of regions ordering security for regional and provincial leaders has also increased. Formally, this is explained by "general risks" in wartime conditions. However, the key factor is internal destabilization in Russia itself, caused by the mass return of military personnel from the front. Former participants in the war against Ukraine are increasingly becoming a source of violence that the Russian Federation cannot cope with. According to open data, war "veterans" have already killed or maimed more than a thousand people inside the country, and this figure continues to grow.
Increased security costs amid federal spending cuts
At the same time, the authorities' fears contrast with the Kremlin's budget policy. In 2026, federal spending cuts in Russia will affect at least 18 of 51 state programs. Healthcare, aviation, energy, and funding for temporarily occupied territories will be cut. The record reduction was in the Comprehensive Development of Rural Areas program, which lost 34.3 billion rubles (about 30%), while the Healthcare Development program lost another 31.7 billion. Against the backdrop of these cuts, the increase in spending on personal security for officials is telling – the Russian authorities are saving on the population, but not on their own security.
Against this backdrop, the increased security measures for governors appear to be less a defense against external threats and more a manifestation of fear of their own people—and of those who have returned from war with weapons, injuries, and a readiness to resort to violence. The actual actions of regional authorities demonstrate that the Russian system is increasingly afraid of the consequences of the war it started.
