Ukraine faces $27 billion shortfall; Cabinet will cover part of it using its own funds, - Koretskyi
Prime Minister Serhiy Koretsky stated that in 2026, the cost of the war for Ukraine amounts to $155 billion, and an additional $27 billion is needed to cover the defense budget deficit.
He stated this during a meeting with journalists, according to Censor.NET, citing Suspilne.
The Cost of War
According to the prime minister, the cost of the war in 2026 is $155 billion. The Ministry of Defense mentioned this figure to its partners at the "Ramstein" meeting in February.
This amount was later set forth in the "Financial Strategy" document, which the government submitted to the EU in March 2026 as part of the dialogue on obtaining the Ukraine Support Loan.
"The amount of $155 billion consists of budgetary funding and extrabudgetary material and technical assistance from partners. Extrabudgetary material and technical assistance includes, in particular, missiles, military equipment, and other weapons that partners provide not in the form of cash but as specific items.
"For example, these include PAC-2 and PAC-3 missiles for the Patriot system, launchers, aircraft, and so on," explained Koretsky.
How much is missing?
The prime minister noted that Ukraine is still short $27 billion from these funds. The Cabinet of Ministers plans to cover part of this shortfall with its own resources.
"Of these $27 billion, the government plans to cover about $7 billion through cost savings, optimization, and the reallocation of expenditures. This means strict austerity measures in public finances and the postponement of some non-essential expenditures.
"These funds are intended, in particular, to cover payments to military personnel and support for their families. The remaining $20 billion is the subject of negotiations with our partners," the prime minister added.
It is precisely these funds that will determine our ability to conduct active combat operations in the first quarter of 2027, since we need to pay for production.
