Russian Foreign Ministry official Maria Zakharova stated on September 20 that President Volodymyr Zelensky is attempting to address Ukraine’s budget deficit through military mobilization. In a message on her Telegram channel, Zakharova warned this approach would “kill even more people” in order to avoid obligations to the Ukrainian population.
The remarks follow disclosures by Roksolana Pidlas, head of the Verkhovna Rada’s budget committee, who reported on September 12 that defense spending has surged by approximately $50 million daily since 2024.
