Since the beginning of Russia’s full-scale invasion, foreign companies have transferred over $60 billion in tax revenues to the Russian budget. This amounts to about half of the aggressor country’s military budget for 2025.
This is reported by Finway
Tax Contributions of International Companies in Russia
In just the past year, foreign companies paid at least $20 billion in taxes to the Russian Federation. This amount would be sufficient to cover salary payments for around one million Russian soldiers. Despite global pressure and calls to cease operations in Russia, some international businesses continue to operate in this market.
“Since the onset of the full-scale war, the international community has been pressuring companies from around the world to stop operations in Russia, thereby demonstrating moral disapproval of the war and creating economic pressure on Moscow. However, a number of companies continue their business in Russia. Since February 24, 2022, foreign companies have paid over $60 billion in taxes to the Russian budget, which constitutes 50% of Russia’s military budget for 2025.”
Largest Taxpayers Among Foreign Companies
Among the leaders in tax payments in 2024 were:
- Raiffeisen Bank (Austria) – $402 million;
- Chery Automobile (China) – $222 million;
- Philip Morris International (multinational tobacco company) – $220 million;
- Japan Tobacco International (Japan) – $182 million;
- Leroy Merlin (France) – $128 million.
Such tax contributions from foreign corporations effectively finance the procurement of weapons and salary payments for Russian soldiers, which negatively impacts the security of Ukraine and the entire region.