Russia Won’t be Able to Address Basic Problems until War in Ukraine Ends, Former General and Now United Russia Duma Deputy Says

Paul Goble

            Staunton, Jan. 6 – Andrey Gurulyov, a former Russian general who has distinguished himself in his current position as a United Russia Duma deputy from the Transbaikal, says that neither Moscow nor the federal subjects will have enough money to address the problems Russia faces.

            In response to question from constituents, he acknowledged that “the programs for dilapidated housing have been stopped. To tell people we will solve this problem tomorrow would be a lie. Until we can breathe a little easier after [the war in Ukraine ends], we simply won't be able to push this issue through. I'm telling you how things really are" (dialog.ua/russia/326633_1767645783 and charter97.org/ru/news/2026/1/6/668993/).

            And he made the following more general point concerning the financial situation of the governments of the  federal subjects who depend largely on subsidies from Moscow which first takes a disproportionate share of taxes collected and then doles some of it back after using most of the money for its own purposes:

"Let me be honest with you,” he said. “Today, the regional budget simply cannot cope. The deficit is enormous. We are told that 'everything is fine’ … but look at the deficit figures – and everything becomes clear: there is simply no money. In Petrovsk-Zabaykalsky, the head of the district even sent employees on unpaid leave as there was no money to pay them.”

This is the second time recently that a former general has suggested that the war in Ukraine is having an adverse impact on the lives of Russians. In December, Leonid Ivashov, long a Putin critic, was even more critical. He said that because of the war, Russia is in real trouble at home  and abroad (saratoga-foundation.org/p/we-are-in-trouble-general-ivashov).

That former generals are speaking out in this way is striking and suggests that there may be many more in the Russian high command who are worried about the impact of the war they are charged with conducting on Russian life at home and on Russia’s position in the world – and who may feel that they can say such things with fewer risks because of their backgrounds.