According to the draft document for the 2024-2026 republican budget, Russia will pay $134.4 million to lease the Baikonur Cosmodrome and military training grounds from Kazakhstan, QazMonitor reports.
"Rental income for the usage of military ranges will amount to 9,217,940 thousand tenge, calculated based on the annual rent for the Russian Federation's military ranges and the projected exchange rate of tenge to the U.S. dollar. Rental income for the use of the Baikonur facility will be 52,900,000 thousand tenge, determined in accordance with the lease agreement for the Baikonur facility between the Government of the Republic of Kazakhstan and the Government of the Russian Federation, and the projected exchange rate of tenge to the U.S. dollar," states the document.
The current exchange rate of the National Bank calculates the rent for Baikonur at around $114.5 million, and the lease of the military ranges will be about $19.9 million.
The city and cosmodrome of Baikonur are located in the Kyzylorda region. Established in 1955 as a vital element of the Soviet Space Program, Baikonur stands as the world's first spaceport for orbital and human launches. It remains the most prominent space launch facility to date. Since 1991, Russia has leased the entire facility under a specific agreement.
