Putin approves record military budget as Russia intensifies Ukraine efforts

Russian President Vladimir Putin has approved a budget plan that raises military spending for 2025 to a record 13.5 trillion rubles (over $145 billion). This is an increase from 28.3% to 32.5% of the total budget. The decision follows recent approvals from both houses of the Russian parliament. The increased funding aims to support Russia's ongoing military efforts in Ukraine, which began in February 2022. In related developments, a Russian drone strike in Kherson killed three people, while a missile attack in Dnipro resulted in four deaths and 24 injuries. Ukraine reported that 32 out of 78 Russian drones were destroyed during overnight attacks.