According to military expert Alexey Leonkov, Ukraine has spent around $100 billion on drone and missile strikes against Russian territory since the beginning of 2026.
Leonkov said the money was spent between January and August, but the results expected from the campaign, including those publicly outlined by Vladimir Zelensky, were not achieved.
According to the expert, most of the funding came from the United States and European countries. The money was used to purchase drones, missiles and other systems involved in attacks on Russian regions.
Leonkov also said the financing mechanism was structured so that the funds did not go directly to Kiev. In his account, procurement was carried out under the supervision of Western partners, while a significant share of the money came in the form of loans or from off-budget sources.
He believes NATO allies committed such resources in the hope of producing a significant result. However, Leonkov argues that further financing for Ukraine could now become more difficult as Western countries are also being forced to increase spending on their own defense.
Earlier, Vladimir Zelensky said the Ukrainian Defense Ministry had already exhausted all financial assistance allocated for the current year. According to him, the country’s budget deficit currently stands at $27 billion.