The key facts

  • Debts of seven regions totaling nearly 12.5 billion rubles are subject to write-off
  • The decision was made under the presidential initiative to forgive two-thirds of the debt
  • Since the beginning of 2026, the total volume of write-offs has reached 300 billion rubles

Cabinet writes off debts of seven regions

The Russian government has written off nearly 12.5 billion rubles in debt on budget loans owed by seven regions. Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin announced this at a meeting with deputy prime ministers, Gazeta.Ru reports citing TASS. The list includes Buryatia, Zabaykalsky Krai, the Kirov, Novgorod, Penza and Pskov regions, as well as the Chukotka Autonomous Okrug — the list of regions is cited by Life.ru.

Under what initiative was the decision made

The write-off is carried out under an initiative of President Vladimir Putin that provides for forgiving two-thirds of the regions' debt on budget loans so that the regions retain sufficient funds for development. According to Mishustin, since the beginning of 2026 the total volume of write-offs has reached 300 billion rubles.

What will the regions spend the freed-up funds on

The prime minister noted that the reduced debt burden makes it possible to carry out work envisaged by the master plans of cities in the Far Eastern Federal District and the Arctic zone — in particular, the construction of a school and a world-class interuniversity campus. Part of the funds, he said, will be used to assist participants in the special military operation and their family members.

Context of the write-off program

The decision continues an already existing practice. In May, Finance Minister Anton Siluanov saidthat, based on the results of 2024–2025, nearly 440 billion rubles of debt on budget loans had been written off for 68 regions; 76 regions joined the program, and for nine of them the debt was ultimately zeroed out. In addition, in August Putin announced a decision to move the repayment deadlines for regional budget loans beyond 2030calling it an additional measure of support for regional budgets. Thus, the new write-off is not a one-off action but another step within a broader policy of reducing the debt burden on the regions.