12 February 2026
In the city of Yurga in the Kemerovo Region, home to one of the largest military training grounds in the Central Military District, kindergarten benefits for families of those who participated in the invasion of Ukraine have been sharply reduced. Local residents reported this to ngs42.ru . The cuts to benefits for “heroes of the Central Military District” in Kuzbass come amid a dramatic decline in regional revenues and a budget deficit of 55.7 billion rubles , making the region the leader among Russian regions by the end of 2025.
According to a decree approved by the Yurga administration on December 30 , authorities will now reimburse only 25% of preschool fees for families of war veterans, instead of the previous 100%. Parents must pay the rest themselves. Sibirsky Express reported that full reimbursement for preschool fees was reserved for families where one parent died in the “SVO.” The same applies to those missing in action in Ukraine. A well-informed source in the regional government told ngs42.ru that the cancellation of benefits will likely affect other districts of the Kemerovo region as well, depending on the state of municipal budget deficits.
Yurga is considered a significant military center, as it houses major units, including the 74th Separate Guards Motorized Rifle Brigade of the Russian Armed Forces, the 106th Separate Logistics Brigade, and the 120th Guards Artillery Brigade. The city, with a population of 80,000, is home to the Yurginsky Proving Ground, one of the largest weapons and military equipment testing centers in the Central Military District, where major military exercises are held.
In 2025, the budget gap in Kuzbass, caused by a sharp decline in tax revenues from coal companies, exceeded 25% of revenue—55.7 billion rubles (expenses—255.8 billion rubles). Against this backdrop, public sector workers in the region began complaining of salary delays and bonus cuts. For example, in December, school teachers in Kiselevsk and hospital employees in Kemerovo and Anzhero-Sudzhensk were not paid on time.
The total budget deficit of Russia’s regions reached a 20-year high of 1.538 trillion rubles last year, according to the Ministry of Finance. Compared to 2024, the gap in regional budgets has jumped fivefold, and compared to 2023, it has grown almost eightfold.
Hmm … that’ll do wonders for their recruitment efforts.