Kremlin launches digital rouble to control Russians – Ukraine's Defence Intelligence

Yahoo

31-05-2025

Defence Intelligence of Ukraine has reported on "another step by the criminal regime in Moscow aimed at strengthening total control over its own population" — the introduction of a digital rouble.
Source: Defence Intelligence of Ukraine (DIU); Latvia-based Russian media outlet Meduza
Details: Intelligence reports show that starting in early 2026, Russian state employees will begin to receive their salaries in "digital roubles".
DIU expects that Russia will completely control the circulation of the virtual rouble: it will track every transaction, and the spending of digital roubles will be limited by the citizen's place of residence or the type of goods.
Moreover, intelligence analysis shows that the Kremlin regime will be able to block citizens' accounts without a court decision and automatically deduct taxes and fines from them.
The Russian media outlet Meduza writes that the digital rouble is a new form of Russian currency on par with cash and non-cash roubles.
Each digital rouble in the Russian Federation will be assigned a unique code (similar to the series and number on banknotes). Electronic money will be stored in electronic wallets opened on a specially designed platform of the Central Bank.
Russians say that the digital rouble has many advantages. In particular, if a bank goes bankrupt, people will not lose their money. Also, the digital rouble will allegedly significantly reduce the cost of money transfers, lower commissions for businesses, etc.
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