Russian lawmakers approve massive increase in defence spending

Russian lawmakers approved an almost 30 percent hike in defence spending Thursday, committing the country to yet more huge outlays next year on its military offensive against Ukraine.

Moscow had already ramped up military spending to levels not seen since the Soviet era, pumping out missiles and drones to fire on Ukraine and paying lucrative salaries to its hundreds of thousands of frontline soldiers.

Lawmakers in the lower house State Duma voted to approve the budget in a final reading Thursday.

President Vladimir Putin said earlier this year that Moscow was already spending close to nine percent of its economy on defence and security -- the highest level since the Cold War.

That figure includes other parts of its budget that are essentially security spending but which are not classified as "national defence".

reading of a budget that will see a record 13.5 trillion rubles ($134 billion) spent on "national defence" -- more than six percent of Russia's GDP.

President Vladimir Putin said earlier this year that Moscow was already spending close to nine percent of its economy on defence and security -- the highest level since the Cold War.

That figure includes other parts of its budget that are essentially security spending but which are not classified as "national defence".

Russia has been keen to tout the budget's planned spending on social projects, while downplaying the massive military outlays.

The spending plans "ensure all social obligations, solve development tasks and respond to the challenges faced by our country," Duma Speaker and Putin ally Vyacheslav Volodin said.

The budget now needs to be rubber-stamped by the upper house of parliament before being signed into law by Putin.