The huge amount that Ukraine needs for another year of war. How much does a single day of conflict costs
War in Ukraine. Ukrainian armored vehicle on a road from Donetsk region, on March 17, 2025 .. Photo source: Roman Pilipey / AFP / Profimedia
Ukraine will need at least $ 120 billion for defense in 2026, if the war with Russia continues, said Defense Minister Denis Smihal, Reuters reports.
Smihal said that funds are essential for maintaining defense lines, drone production and other weapons, anti -aircraft defense and discouraging Russian aggression.
“The economy of the war shows that if we spend less money than Russia, then we will pay with the territories and, most importantly, with our lives,” Smihal said in a conference in Kiev.
Ukraine's defense expenses increased exponentially after the Russian invasion of February 2022, and now 31% of GDP is allocated to the army. For the current year, 63 billion dollars for defense were allocated, to which are added the armament provided by the Western allies of Kiev.
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Roksolana Pidlasa, the chairman of the Parliamentary Commission for the budget, said that the costs of the war continued to increase. Thus, in 2025, a day of war costs $ 172,000,000, compared to 140,000,000 in 2024. The amount includes the salaries of the soldiers, the armament and payments for the injured or for the families of those killed. “We need to get all the necessary resources, all the necessary money,” said Pidlasa.
Although no details have been provided with the additional sources of financing, Ukrainian government officials have asked the Allies to find a way to use Russia's frozen assets in the West to finance Kiev war efforts.
The war with Russia has intensified in recent months, with intense struggles that take place on a front of more than 1,000 kilometers and with Russians that intensify the air attacks on the Ukrainian cities behind the front.
The diplomatic efforts for the conclusion of the war have not so far brought concrete results. This week, tensions have reached a new level after NATO planes rose from the ground to break several drones that violated Poland's airspace on Wednesday.
“Until a diplomatic solution, we will continue to fight, and to fight, we need money. Defense has a huge financial cost,” said Pidlasa.
