Translation. Region: Russian Federation –
Source: Mainfin Bank –
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Image: mainfin.ru
What budget payments will be made using the electronic ruble?
The government has published a list of expenses for which transactions can be made using the digital ruble. The list includes the following federal budget expenditures:
Social payments to citizens; salaries of civil servants; financing of construction services; repair work at government facilities.
Starting in 2026, payments to the budget and government agencies can be made in digital rubles. The Ministry of Finance clarified that using the new form of national currency is only possible at the citizen's discretion; authorities will not force Russians to open accounts. Social benefits and wages will continue to be received in the usual format—via bank accounts and MIR cards.
How is the digital ruble being launched in Russia?
An experiment with a digital ruble was launched in Russia in the summer of 2023. This new form of payment was intended to be an alternative to cash and non-cash payments. By 2025, over 9,000 individuals and over 1,000 companies had joined the project, and approximately 100,000 transactions had been conducted using the currency. Large-scale implementation has been repeatedly delayed due to banks' reluctance to lose profits, as well as the lack of technical and legislative readiness.
"In mid-2025, the law on the digital ruble was signed by the president. Large companies will be required to use the new payment method starting in September 2026, while other market participants were granted a deferment until 2028," the expert recalled.
The first budget payments using the digital ruble were made this fall – the federal budget then transferred the salaries of a parliamentarian and several students, as well as payments for government contracts. The project is continuing to expand, and the Central Bank plans to raise public awareness of the new payment method.
12:00 12/30/2025
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