Authorities decline to list halted construction projects in Irkutsk Oblast

The government of Irkutsk Oblast, in response to a request from «IrCity,» did not disclose the list of facilities whose work was frozen in 2026 due to a difficult budget situation. The head of the Ministry of Construction, Alexei Yemelyukov, spoke about the problems of mothballing and postponing work deadlines at the end of 2025.

Due to falling tax revenues and rising expenses, a difficult situation has developed in the budget of Irkutsk Oblast, so the region had to take commercial loans last year to settle priority items (including salaries of public sector employees, compensation to resource-supplying and transport organizations). As of January 1, 2026, the region«s public debt exceeded 82 billion rubles (approximately $900 million at current rates) (this is twice as much as a year earlier). According to the Ministry of Finance, the budget deficit for the year amounted to 46 billion rubles (approximately $500 million at current rates).

At the end of 2025, when the draft budget for 2026 was being discussed, the head of the Ministry of Construction Alexei Yemelyukov warned about accounts payable and possible mothballing of facilities. »We will enter 2026, most likely, with accounts payable and there will be no source to pay it off, since there are no reserves for this. Therefore, next year we are preparing for a large-scale mothballing of facilities; measures will be implemented only at the expense of the federal budget,« emphasized the minister.

Finance Minister Yekaterina Bagainikova then emphasized that the government is »taking all measures« to assess the volume of accounts payable and find ways to repay it.

The editorial office of «IrCity» requested a list of facilities for which a decision was made to freeze work in 2026. The government press service responded that they cannot provide this information at the moment.

According to the regional cabinet, the Ministry of Construction is currently preparing proposals to ensure funding for facilities where accounts payable have arisen. These proposals will be reviewed by the project committee on construction.

In addition, at the proposal of the Ministry of Construction, approaches to financing municipal facilities have been adjusted. The Ministry of Finance is preparing a legal framework to reimburse expenses incurred by local budgets. And several municipalities are «considering the possibility» of completing the work at their own expense.

Also, authorities are now working with the federal center to redistribute money allocated for the implementation of previously started measures.

«Therefore, it is not possible to compile the requested information in the form of a list until work on all the above directions is completed,» emphasized the regional government press service.

Previously, the government press service did not answer what volume of accounts payable was accumulated by the end of 2025. This information will be compiled in March 2026, during the preparation of the budget execution report.