No sooner have the Russian parliamentary elections ended than massive tax rises are on the horizon. The Kremlin lacks the funds for the war, so the finance minister is having to be particularly resourceful. Critics warn: "Queuing will become part of everyday life for Russians." Peter Jungblut observes, for BR24, the debates behind the reports surrounding Russia's war of aggression against Ukraine. To do so, he follows Russian media, Telegram channels, and social media, and shows how the issue is discussed there.
"It's all quite logical: if the people voted for the war, they must now pay for it," stated one of Russia's leading political blogs. This was an ironic allusion to Vladimir Putin's claim that, by casting their votes, the Russian people had demonstrated their support for "efforts to strengthen the country".
"Comrades, this vote was for you. The people believe in you, in our victory, in your bravery, your heroism and your loyalty to the Fatherland. I am convinced that we will achieve all the objectives we have set ourselves as part of this special military operation."
Numerous tax increases shortly after the election
This propagandistic rhetoric is costing the Russians dearly. Just a few days after the parliamentary election, Finance Minister Anton Siluanov presented his draft budget for the coming year. It includes numerous tax increases [external link]. The Kremlin intends to impose significantly higher taxes on interest and dividend income, and online purchases from abroad are also set to become more expensive.
"Every dictatorship of the proletariat needs diamonds, and every escalation requires higher taxes and levies," blogger Dmitri Sevryukov remarked sarcastically [external link]: "It is therefore neither surprising nor unexpected that, under the current circumstances, fiscal policy will be tightened and the tax burden will rise."
To put it more bluntly: "Right then, everyone, are you ready? The elections are over. Now all the nonsense that was put on hold during the election campaign is going to be turned into law."
Kremlin: "We cannot comment on this"
"The votes have been cast – the fundraising begins," writes one of the anonymous Russian bloggers: "The war is being financed less and less from the abstract 'public purse' and increasingly from the pockets of citizens through customs duties, taxes, fee increases and the erosion of incomes. The election campaign is over, and now the population is transforming from the electorate into a source of funding."
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov refused to comment on the planned tax increases: "You will have to contact the government – or, more specifically, the Ministry of Finance. We did not draw up the draft budget and are therefore unable to comment on it."
"Citizens will hate those who take part in the war"
Siluanov's measures are extremely "popular", according to propagandist Dmitri Drise, as they initially affect "only the wealthy" – that is, people who have "money to spare": "According to official estimates by the Ministry of Finance, the tax rises will affect around four million people, which amounts to no more than six per cent of all taxpayers in the country. But the most important thing is: this is only the beginning."
Abbas Galljamow, a political scientist living in exile and formerly one of Putin's speechwriters, speculated – not entirely in all seriousness –: "The authorities are planning tax increases for businesses and citizens, but are exempting those who have served in the war. As budgetary funds are being used specifically to pay them, it is clear that citizens are expected to pay for the services of these 'heroes' out of their own pockets. Some claim that the authorities fear the return of these fighters from the front. This is completely unfounded; by the time that happens, the public will hate these people so much that those concerned will be more likely to conceal their participation in the war than to boast about it."
Lamborghinis remain popular
Meanwhile, Dmitri Kolesev, a journalist critical of the Kremlin, scoffed that he had been unable to find the phrase 'tax increase' in any of the Russian media outlets loyal to the regime, but only poetic circumlocutions of the term: "VAT is being introduced on foreign goods, which will make everything from trainers to smartphones more expensive; Russians are to pay more for flight tickets and for the protection of energy infrastructure against drone attacks. And that is probably far from the end of the bad news."
"Events seem to be following the saying: 'If they have no bread, let them eat cake'," quipped another Russian commentator (684,000 followers), pointing out that the number of Lamborghinis registered in Russia was "on a record-breaking run". In August alone, 21 Russians treated themselves to a new car from the luxury Italian brand.
A commentator's conclusion: "This is no longer a crisis, but the new reality that will persist until the end of the war. Supply shortages will be systemic, and queuing will become part of everyday life for most Russians."
An article written by Peter Jungblut (BR), initially published on 25 September 2026, 08:23 (CEST)
