Putin beefs up military budget

Russian President Vladimir Putin has signed a national budget for the next three years that increases spending by around 25 per cent and reportedly devotes a record amount to defence as the country’s military operation in Ukraine drags on. The budget foresees spending in 2024 of 36.6 trillion rubles ($411 billion U.S.) with an expected deficit of 1.595 trillion rubles ($17.9 billion U.S.).