As Putin’s War in Ukraine Grinds On, Moscow Cuts Funds for Fighting Cancer for Third Year in a Row

 Paul Goble

            Staunton, Oct. 17 – The Russian government has slashed spending on fighting cancer each year since the start of Vladimir Putin’s expanded war in Ukraine. It plans to reduce spending in 2025 to 140 billion rubles (1.4 billion US dollars), down from 153.7 billion rubles (1.53 billion US dollars) in 2023 and 189.6 billion rubles (1.89 billion US dollars) in 2022.

            That will release more money for the war, but these cuts will have the effect of further depressing Russia’s already dire demographic crisis, one that up to now the Kremlin and the Duma have talked a lot about but have taken measures that won’t compensate for the additional deaths these cuts will lead to (rosbalt.ru/news/2024-10-16/pavel-pryanikov-nado-vnesti-yasnost-v-kampaneyschinu-po-demografii-5223501).

            In addition to cuts in spending on treating cancer, Moscow also has announced even deeper cuts in spending on medical care for those suffering from circulatory illnesses and other major diseases as well on the construction and reconstruction of medical facilities in which such people might be treated (rbc.ru/society/16/10/2024/670d28b69a7947654366da44).

            Such cuts will lead to more deaths from these serious illnesses, reducing life expectancies among older people on which Russia increasingly relies for boosting that figure (windowoneurasia2.blogspot.com/2024/10/despite-increased-deaths-among-young.html) and worsen Russia’s demographic crisis, yet another consequence of the war in Ukraine for Russians.