The budget indicates that Russia will continue to fight largely as it has, locking it in a grinding war of attrition.

On Sept. 28, Russia rained 593 drones and 48 missiles down on Ukraine in a massive 12-hour attack, wreaking havoc across the country. Ukraine neutralized as many as 611 airborne weapons, though at least 30 drones and five missiles hit their targets in 16 locations.

The General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine reported 136 combat clashes with Russian troops over the past 24 hours up to Monday. Ukrainian air defence forces reported shooting down and suppressing 23 drones in northern and eastern Ukraine and recorded nine drones hitting targets at eight locations.

The Kremlin said on Tuesday that there were "many" people living in Ukraine's southern regions of Odesa and Mykolaiv who wanted to "link their fate to Russia" but were afraid to speak out.

Europe and Russia are “no longer at peace” German chancellor Friedrich Merz has warned. Mr Merz accused Moscow of executing a “war against our democracy and a war against our freedom”, at a media event in Dusseldorf on Monday.

Alexander Kokcharov, geoeconomics analyst for Russia, Eastern Europe and Central Asia at Bloomberg Economics, told Newsweek the continued diversion of resources to fund its war suggests Moscow is not preparing for peace, but "rather for more fighting on the battlefield in Ukraine."

China largely has three central motivations for the war between Russia and Ukraine to continue, Szu-chien Hsu says.

Vice President JD Vance said on Fox News Sunday that Moscow needs to "wake up and accept reality," as the Trump administration tries to end the war.

Analysts say the Russian equipment and training could support a Chinese "decapitation strike" attempt against Taiwan.