Millions of Russians Feel Bite of War as Salaries Go Unpaid

(MOSCOW, RUSSIA) – Russia’s overdue wage debt nearly doubled in April compared to a year earlier and has surged almost sixfold since the start of 2025, according to official statistics released by ROSSTAT, in another sign of mounting financial strain on businesses and regional budgets as the economy slows.

As utility fee debts continue to grow across the Russian Federation, authorities are preparing to cut electricity and hot running water supplies in the Far East region. Residents of Primorsky Krai face imminent disconnection, with local authorities planning to switch off electricity and running water to approximately 13,000 people who can no longer afford to pay their fees.

The situation marks a stark deterioration in living standards. Millions of Russians now say the chaotic 1990s were not as bad as conditions in 2026, when they face a real war impacting dozens of Russian regions, including Moscow. Their financial circumstances continue to worsen, and the Kremlin is now preparing utility shutoffs in multiple regions.

The root cause is a severe salary payment crisis. Workers dependent on the federal budget, including teachers and doctors, face mounting wage arrears. The volume of unpaid wages is six times higher than just last year. ROSSTAT figures show debt surged 35 percent month on month and stands 94.3 percent higher than in 2025.

The Russian government has issued recommendations to media not to focus attention on salary problems, mirroring previous instructions to stop discussing drone attacks on Moscow or fuel shortages. Despite this, ROSSTAT published the data revealing the serious increase in wage debts across all Russian regions.

The dictator continues to prioritise the destruction of Ukrainian electricity infrastructure at a cost of billions of dollars per week, while his own regions cannot afford electricity or hot running water. The Russian federal budget already lacks trillions of rubles, with parliamentary sources indicating a combined inherited debt from 2025 and new shortfalls for 2026 amounting to 11 trillion roubles.

Regions suffer the most because Moscow and St Petersburg are prioritised for protection and resources. These cities have been shielded from conscription and drone strikes, with air defence systems now being placed on skyscrapers. However, such measures will not address the rot from within.

In 2022, millions supported the so-called special military operation. In 2026, millions do not receive salaries, millions are preparing for electricity outages, millions live without internet, and millions are tasting their own medicine. Discussions about a potential leadership change have emerged within the presidential administration, with names such as Kiriyenko being floated as a possible successor, recalling the political manoeuvring of 1996 when Boris Yeltsin was deeply unpopular