Paying utility bills is becoming unaffordable for many Russian families.
The Russian Federation suffers from dilapidated infrastructure, poorly maintained and financed, in As a result, the number of accidents on heating networks is growing critically.
This is written by Financial Times.
As the publication reports, incidents such as a breakdown of a heating main in the Russian Novosibirsk and a lack of heating in Klimovsk near Moscow, at -20°C, indicate the need for investment. In addition, the war in Ukraine is consuming an ever larger portion of the Russian budget.
“According to official estimates, from 45 to 60 percent of all utility networks are in need of repair, and this figure is growing every year, as is the number of accidents. And in Chukotka, which Putin visited for the first time in 23 years of his rule, this figure reaches about 90%,” the publication writes.
According to experts, this year alone there were more accidents than in 2023, both in number and according to severity, experts say.
At the same time, Russians are faced with the problem of the cost of utilities, which is unaffordable for many Russian families.
Russian households' utility debts have risen sharply in recent years, approaching 1 trillion rubles ($11.2 billion) in 2023.
“Heating problems are just the tip of the iceberg. Although Russia is the world's largest gas exporter, only 11 of its 83 administrative regions are fully connected to the gas pipeline network,” the report says.
We also reported that British analysts identified corruption schemes and a system of bribery among the Russian military and their commanders. Bribes were demanded for various “services”, such as: vacation, physical fitness certification, military rank, driver's license, avoiding disciplinary action for using smartphones or drunkenness.
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