FILE PHOTO: Russian President Vladimir Putin delivers a speech during the opening ceremony of the International military-technical forum "Army-2021" at Patriot Congress and Exhibition Centre in Moscow Region, Russia August 23, 2021. Sputnik/Ramil Sitdikov/Kremlin via REUTERS
MOSCOW (Reuters) - Social payments to pensioners and soldiers announced by President Vladimir Putin at the weekend before an election next month could cost the budget more than 500 billion roubles ($6.75 billion), Andrei Makarov, a senior lawmaker, said on Monday.
Putin on Sunday said the government would make one-off payments to military personnel and pensioners this year to help them cope with a sharper-than-expected rise in inflation.
