Saturday, December 06, 2025

UATV NEWS: Counter-Narratives --- 🚨JUST IN: Russia’s Gold Reserves Hit Historic High of Over $310 Billion | @eyeontrend

Russia’s central bank announced that its gold reserves exceeded $310 billion for the first time on December 1, 2025, driven by soaring gold prices and strategic accumulation efforts. This marks a 3.6% increase from the previous month, solidifying the nation’s financial buffers.

Amid geopolitical tensions and sanctions, Russia has ramped up gold holdings to diversify from dollar assets, now comprising 42% of reserves and enhancing economic stability against global uncertainties.

Russia Increases Funding for Global South Despite Deepening Budget Crisis

Published: 6 Dec / 2025 17:09

Illustrative photo: Photo: gettyimages.com

Russia has sharply expanded its external lending despite worsening budget problems and stagnant domestic demand.
Ukraine’s Foreign Intelligence Service reported this, according to UATV English.

Over the past year, Moscow increased financing for Bangladesh, India, and Egypt by a total of another $3 billion:

Bangladesh’s debt grew by $1.3 billion,
India’s by $800 million, and
Egypt’s by the same amount.
Belarus’s debt to Russia has reached $7.6 billion.

At the same time, the Kremlin is expanding its practice of debt write-offs:

Tajikistan had $300 million cancelled;
Cuba received a deferral on a €1.2 billion loan;
Belarus was granted a 7–12 year extension;
Guinea-Bissau had $26.7 million written off and another $940,000 restructured;
Somalia was allowed not to repay $691 million. In total,
Moscow has forgiven around $20 billion to African states.

The contrast with the domestic situation is increasingly stark.

Russian consumers are cutting back on essential purchases:
58% are giving up goods they previously bought,
57% are switching to cheaper alternatives, and
46% are trying to visit shops as rarely as possible.
The share of citizens who do not have enough money for food remains at 31%.

Meanwhile, the government is failing to meet its key tax collection targets: by year’s end, the federal budget will fall short by 5 trillion rubles across seven major revenue categories that together generate half of the treasury’s income.

Despite this, the Kremlin is increasing military spending to record levels. The army and armaments will receive 12.93 trillion rubles — nearly 30% of the budget, the highest share since Soviet times. Another 3.91 trillion rubles will go to national security. In total, Russia’s security services and military structures will receive 16.84 trillion rubles, or 38% of the budget — 1.6 times more than in 2021.

The cost of such priorities is clear:

social spending is being reduced to 25.1% from the pre-war 38.1%, and
economic support to 10.9% from 17.6%.
Both figures will fall to their lowest level in 20 years.

“While millions of Russians cut spending and avoid shops, the state is directing record resources toward war and financial support for foreign regimes — funds that are unlikely ever to be returned,”

-- the intelligence service noted.

As reported by Ukrinform, Russia did not sign a single interstate agreement following the investment forum in Moscow.