The price of predominant items reminiscent of frequent food merchandise has risen substantially in both Russia and Ukraine
| Photo Credit: AFP
The Russia-Ukraine battle, which started with Russia’s invasion four years ago, on February 24, 2022, has persevered despite thousands of casualties and different rounds of peace negotiations. A joint document by the World Bank, European Union (EU), United Worldwide locations, and Ukraine, published on February 23, estimates the price of post-battle constructing in Ukraine to be round $558 billion over the following decade, merely about 3 times the nation’s estimated GDP in 2025.
The battle has taken a toll on both countries. Russia, one in every of the arena’s largest economies, has been battered by sanctions imposed by the EU and the U.S. As shown in the chart below, its economy grew by no longer as a lot as 1% last year and is estimated to develop by one other 1% in 2026.
The industrial condition of Ukraine, one in every of the poorest European nations even earlier than the battle, has worsened in recent years. The nation is reeling below mounting executive debt, rising reliance on reduction, and heavy damage to infrastructure. Its GDP development gotten smaller by practically 30% in 2022. Its economy, which grew by magnificent 2% last year, is estimated to glean wisely to 4.5% in 2026.
Knowledge ticket that of us in both Russia and Ukraine agree with been feeling the pinch of the battle.
User designate inflation in both countries surged to a six-year excessive on the outset of the battle in 2022. It has remained normally elevated in the years since. As an illustration, in Russia, inflation surged to 14% in 2022, moderated to 5% in 2023, but therefore increased to 9% in the last year.
The price of predominant items reminiscent of frequent food merchandise has risen substantially in both countries. In Russia, a kilogramme of bread increased by 13% this month in contrast to a year ago and increased by over 50% in contrast to 5 years ago, basically basically based on the Meals and Agriculture Group’s Meals Sign Index.
In an identical vogue, the rate of a kilogramme of rice increased by 40% this month, in contrast to 2022. The chart below presentations the retail prices of make a choice food items in Russia and Ukraine.
In Ukraine, the price of frequent food merchandise reminiscent of wheat and maize has increased by 15% in contrast to four years ago. The price of wheat flour increased from 12,633 Ukrainian Hryvnia (UAH)/tonne in February 2022 to 14,700 UAH/tonne in 2026.
Excessive levels of defence spending additionally resulted in lowered allocation for social spending, education, and healthcare in both countries. In Ukraine, defence spending consistently accounted for extra than half of the nation’s spending since 2022. In distinction, expenditure on education, wisely being care, and social protection declined by extra than half when put next to 2021.
Defence spending surged to over 20% of the nation’s GDP in 2022 and became as soon as estimated to attain 26% by 2025. The interesting prolong has widened the price range deficit, and the nation’s detrimental executive debt accounted for over 109% of the nation’s GDP in 2025.
In Russia, defence spending accounted for practically 30% of the total expenditure. The nation’s social spending did no longer decrease enormously take care of Ukraine’s.
On the other hand, a examine paper published by SIPRI notes that Russia’s military spending isn’t any longer repeatedly categorized below ‘national defence’, but is normally recorded below other categories, reminiscent of social reduction. This makes it mighty to search out out its true non-defence expenditure.
The battle has arrive at a extreme human price. Final month, the Centre for Strategic and World Reviews estimated that 1.2 million folks had been killed, wounded, and lacking in Russia between February 2022 and December 2025. The corresponding figure for Ukraine became as soon as 5 lakh-6 lakh.
The records for the charts had been sourced from the World Monetary Fund, Meals and Agriculture Group’s Meals Sign Index, World Bank, OECD Economic Survey, and Stockholm World Peace Study Institute
Printed – February 26, 2026 08:00 am IST
