Russia cuts cancer care 40-fold as defense hits post-Soviet record 35% of budget

Russia's federal cancer programme budget is slashed from 44.9 billion to 3.87 billion roubles by 2027, a nearly 40-fold reduction, while defense spending rises to 35% of all federal expenditure—the highest since the Soviet collapse. This marks a stark prioritization of military over public health, signaling sustained war footing and potential long-term demographic and social strain. The figures are from official budget documents as reported by Euronews; the exact impact on cancer care delivery remains uncertain.