Russian households face increasing financial strain as war in Ukraine drags on

Far from the front lines of Russia's war in Ukraine, the effects of a conflict that has dragged on for over four and a half years are now being felt. Polina, a mother of two who lives in Moscow, says her utility bills have jumped over 13 percent. The increase took effect last month following parliamentary elections in September. The impact has also started to weigh on grocery prices and it's pushing households like this one to rein in their spending. This is where I really have to cut back and rethink on requests for simpler budgets. That is, buying the whole chicken, carving it up, putting it away and freezing the broth. In short, I'm starting to feel like a housewife from the Soviet Union who uses all sorts of life hacks. But it's not just Russian households that are feeling the strain. Small business owners in Moscow, too, say they're grappling with soaring costs as the government looks for ways to cover the budget deficit driven by a hike in military spending. We strive to be fair to our customers and hold our prices steady for as long as possible. But periodically we have to adjust them to keep pace with rising costs. Ordinary Russians feeling the effects of the conflict is part of Kyiv's strategy to pressure the Kremlin to end the war. The ramifications come as Ukraine continues to strike Russian energy facilities it deems legitimate targets despite requests from Washington to halt attacks. Kyiv said it would only stop once it receives Patriot interceptors, but that isn't likely to happen anytime soon. While the Pentagon has approved the sale of 500 such missiles to Ukraine, deliveries are reportedly expected to start in 2030.