The Russian Finance Ministry announced that some of its employees have received their salaries in digital rubles for the first time. Receiving payments in the central bank's digital currency is available to citizens on a voluntary basis and has been in effect since October 1.

The ministry did not disclose the number of participants or payment amounts

The ministry did not specify how many employees opted for digital ruble payments or the total amount paid in the new form.

2025 expenditure pilots: about 16 million digital rubles

During the testing of federal expenditures for 2025, around 16 million digital rubles ($192,245) were distributed. The ministry then applied the same tested mechanisms to its own salary procedures.

Joint implementation with the Bank of Russia

The integration of the digital ruble into the budget process is being carried out by the Bank of Russia in cooperation with the Finance Ministry.

Launch and EU restrictions

It was previously planned that the digital ruble would launch on September 1, when major banks and retail companies would begin supporting transactions. The currency is intended as a supplement to the ruble and was initially to be accepted by financial and credit institutions. Development has been underway since 2021. In April, EU authorities announced preventive restrictions on the digital ruble. The European Council stated that the sanctions package is related to Russia's war against Ukraine, which began in February 2022.