Russia cuts civil shipbuilding program by 42% in favor of submarines - intel
The Russian government has cut its civil shipbuilding program by 42% in favor of the military navy.
According to Ukrinform, this was reported by the Foreign Intelligence Service.
According to the agency, amid rising construction costs and budget deficits, the Russian government is cutting its preferential leasing program for the civilian fleet by 42% to $1.68 billion, which means a reduction in the shipbuilding plan from 260 to 191 units.
The Foreign Intelligence Service recalled that in December 2024, the Kremlin had already cut this program by 33 ships.
The main reasons for the cuts are the rising cost of components, delays in ship delivery, and competition with military programs for limited resources. To date, the state leasing company has not delivered any of the planned dry cargo ships.
“The reduction jeopardizes the renewal of the civilian fleet, which requires at least 200 new ships annually to transport grain, oil, and metal, particularly on Arctic and Caspian routes. The shortage of modern ships will only worsen,” the intelligence service noted.
Instead, the military fleet remains a priority — in six years, the Russian Navy has received five Borei-A missile submarines and four Yasen-M submarines.
As reported by Ukrinform, the only beneficiary of the civilian sector of the Russian economy this year is the funeral business.