Russia raises propaganda funding by 54% in 2026 budget — Ukraine’s MFA
Putin shaking hands with propagandist Margarita Simonyan (Photo: Pavel Bednyakov/Pool via REUTERS)
Russia boosts 2026 propaganda funding by 54% despite military cuts, while Ukraine bolsters its information resilience, Ukrainian Ministry of Foreign Affairs reported on Oct. 19.
Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha stressed that Russia is intensifying its information war against Ukraine and the world. He said the increase in propaganda spending reveals the true priorities of the aggressor state.
“This clearly shows the priorities of the aggressor state: they cannot win on the battlefield, so they place their main bet on disinformation,” Sybiha said.
He emphasized that in today’s world words are also weapons, especially in diplomacy. For that reason, the minister said, Ukraine is continuing to bolster its information resilience in order to effectively protect national interests and counter Russian aggression in the information space.
The MFA reminded that Russia actively uses propaganda to 'russify' temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine. Occupation administrations are, among other measures, introducing the Russian language even in kindergartens, where children are being taught Russian words and pronunciation rules, gradually pushing Ukrainian out of daily use.
The ministry noted that this approach turns the education system into a tool of ideological influence aimed at altering the national identity of future generations.
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