Why Putin's own victory in the Ukraine war could be his downfall. Russia's economy is now so dependent on Ukraine war that Putin can neither afford to win nor lose the war.
Inflation is high at 7.4 percent - almost twice the central bank's four percent target. Direct investment in the country has collapsed, falling by $8.7 billion (about eight billion euros) in the first three quarters of 2023. In 2022 and 2023 alone, the labor shortage in Russia has increased sharply. War-related emigration is unofficially estimated at over a million.