Russian residents risk being left without medical supplies due to Putin's tax changes

Russian villages could soon lose their only source of medicine due to new tax changes that are pushing small pharmacies to the brink of closure.

Russia could soon see a mass closure of pharmacies, especially in small towns and villages. According to information from the Foreign Intelligence Service of Ukraine, this situation was caused by the tax reform approved by the president, which will take effect in 2026. It provides for a significant reduction in the income threshold for enterprises operating on a simplified taxation system from 60 to 10 million rubles per year. From now on, small pharmacies will have to pay VAT.

This threat was also reported by The Moscow Times, citing Maria Litvinova, executive director of the SoyuzPharma association. The association unites about 4,000 pharmacies across 47 regions of Russia. According to her, many pharmacies are currently facing a choice: switch to the new tax system or close.

Pharmacies in remote settlements, which are often the only source of medicines, will be hit the hardest. After the changes, many pharmacies will be forced to hire an accountant to keep tax records, but they do not have the financial resources to do so.

“There are practically no pharmacies in Russia with revenues below 20 million rubles, and most of them will be forced to pay VAT. Given the restrictions on the markup on vital medicines, many pharmacies will not be able to survive,” Litvinova noted.

She also took the initiative to introduce a special tax regime for small pharmacy businesses and to adjust the income threshold annually in line with inflation to prevent mass closures.

In addition, it was announced that Russian cosmonaut Oleg Artemyev will not participate in the Crew-12 mission, scheduled for early 2026. He was suspended on suspicion of collecting classified information for SpaceX. During the preparation, he probably photographed technical documents and engine parts.