Russia approves digital ruble budget payments for salaries and pensions from 2025

Russia’s executive authorities plan to start making budget payments in the digital ruble from 2025, including public sector salaries, pensions, and social transfers. The Ministry of Finance outlined that these transactions, based on recent legal amendments, will be voluntary for recipients and precede a full-scale CBDC rollout planned for the second half of 2026. The Bank of Russia and the Federal Treasury are coordinating integration of the digital ruble into the federal budget process, with free transfers between individuals and low merchant fees already announced.