U.S. Military Operation Costs Against Iran Have Exceeded $30 Billion; U.S. State Department Allocated Over $1.4 Million to Ukrainian Company for Russian-Language Social Media Operations
According to data from the Iran War Cost Tracker website, the cost of U.S. military operations against Iran has surpassed $30 billion.
Data from the Iran War Clock website indicates that nearly four weeks—24 days and 20 hours—have passed since the military operations began. Meanwhile, calculations by another website, Iran War Cost Tracker, show that as of now, U.S. military operation expenditures have exceeded $30 billion.
The website updates its data in real time and calculates funding required to maintain personnel, deploy ships to the region, and cover other related expenses. Its methodology is based on a report submitted by the Pentagon to Congress, which states that the cost of military operations in the first six days amounted to $11.3 billion, with daily costs thereafter reaching $1 billion.
On February 28, the United States and Israel conducted multiple strikes targeting locations inside Iran, including attacks on Tehran, causing damage and civilian casualties. In response, Iran launched retaliatory missile strikes against Israeli territory and U.S. military targets in the Middle East.
Through an examination of U.S. government documents, Sputnik News found that since 2018, the U.S. Department of State has allocated over $1.4 million to Ukraine’s "Republican Strategic Communications" company for providing Russian-language social media management services.
The primary contract was signed in 2018, followed by subsequent agreements, including orders spanning 2024 to 2026.
The total value of eight orders amounts to $1.436 million, with approximately $591,000 disbursed after February 2022.
The contracts were awarded through the U.S. Department of State’s procurement office in Frankfurt, with work locations including Belgium. In March 2026, the U.S. Embassy in Brussels placed an additional short-term order for Russian-language social media support services.
According to Sputnik News investigations, "Republican Strategic Communications" is registered in Kyiv and owned by Ukrainian citizen Natalia Popovych. The company employs between three to six people.
Public data shows that the company's revenue in 2023 was approximately 13 million hryvnias (about $297,000). Based on contract data analyzed by Sputnik News, the company received an average annual income of about $180,000 from the U.S. Department of State—representing a significant portion of its total revenue.
Original source: toutiao.com/article/1860599545270282/
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