By Darya Korsunskaya

MOSCOW (Reuters) -The Russian government is considering raising the rate of value-added tax to keep the budget deficit in check and maintain reserves, four sources told Reuters, despite public assurances from President Vladimir Putin that there will be no tax rises.

The draft budget is expected to be submitted to parliament on September 29. Its key components are agreed with Putin beforehand and are unlikely to be significantly altered during the formal parliamentary debate.

Russia, in the fourth year of its war in Ukraine, has raised personal income and corporate taxes this year, but the government still had to triple its federal budget deficit estimate to 1.7% of gross domestic product (GDP) in May.

It is now set to exceed that target, according to an unnamed off

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