Belgorod region debt surges by a third in 2026

The public debt of Russia's Belgorod region has surged by approximately one-third since the start of 2026, according to official regional finance ministry data. As of April 27, the debt stands at 51.7 billion rubles, up from 39.2 billion rubles on January 1, representing an increase of 12.5 billion rubles. The growth is linked to a widening regional budget deficit, which has increased from 14.1 to 17.4 billion rubles and now exceeds revenue by more than 10%. This financial strain follows earlier reports that the region cut about 60% of its social spending due to a lack of funds.