Russian authorities attempt to shift consequences of war in Ukraine onto civilian population, intelligence reports say

10.01.2026 08:59

Ukrinform

In Ukrainian cities temporarily occupied by Russia and in Russia itself, utility services have become significantly more expensive—the Russian authorities are trying to shift their own financial problems and the consequences of the war against Ukraine onto the civilian population.

According to Ukrinform, this was reported by the Foreign Intelligence Service of Ukraine (FISU).

"The socio-economic situation in Ukrainian cities temporarily occupied by Russia continues to deteriorate rapidly. In Mariupol, where normal water and heat supply has not yet been restored, the occupation administration has almost doubled the water supply tariff – from 21.2 to 41.84 rubles per cubic meter. At the same time, water is supplied only for a few hours every two days, and some areas remain without it for weeks," the Foreign Intelligence Service noted.

At the same time, according to intelligence reports, heating has also become significantly more expensive – by approximately 300%. The tariff has risen from about 12.5 to over 49 rubles per square meter, while boiler rooms regularly break down and heating networks suffer from accidents.

“The occupiers cynically call this a ‘gradual transition to an economically justified level,’ effectively shifting their own financial problems and the consequences of the war onto the civilian population,” the FISU emphasized.

A similar situation is observed in the temporarily occupied Melitopol, where tariffs have also risen sharply since January 1, 2026, and, as noted in the intelligence report, local residents were presented with a fait accompli after the new rates came into force.

In Russia itself, the authorities announced a two-stage increase in utility payments: the first wave already took place at the beginning of the year due to an increase in VAT from 20% to 22%, which caused the average payment for housing and communal services to increase by approximately 1.6-1.7%. The second wave is expected in the fall and could reach 8% to 22% depending on the region.

Such decisions demonstrate the real state of the Russian economy, which is rapidly weakening under the pressure of sanctions, military spending, and internal degradation, the FISU emphasized.

“The Kremlin is trying to patch up budget holes at the expense of the population - both in the temporarily occupied Ukrainian territories and in Russia itself. Rising tariffs, shortages of basic resources, and the destruction of infrastructure are a direct consequence of the aggressive war against Ukraine, for which Russians are paying with growing poverty,” the FISU noted.

As reported by Ukrinform, for the first time since the start of the full-scale war against Ukraine, the Russian economy has been officially recognized by the Kremlin as having lost momentum and entered a period of stagnation.