Executive Summary: Russia’s economy benefited from increased military expenditures, but industrial production is stagnating as growth limits. Heavy prioritization of the defense industry is causing contractions in other sectors like consumer goods production. The Russian energy sector suffers from declining revenues, delayed projects, and challenges... MORE

Executive Summary: Discrepancies between Russian President Vladimir Putin’s claims and reality regarding the size and productivity of the Russian military-industrial complex are becoming more apparent as the war in Ukraine continues. Official analysis contradicts public statements on the size and success of the Russian military-industrial... MORE

Executive Summary: Russia’s increasing reliance on China for trade underscores potential vulnerabilities due to China’s economic woes and the yuan’s currency controls. This is prompting Russia to aggressively pursue the digital ruble. Despite Western sanctions, Russia-China trade has increased, enhancing bilateral commerce and financial cooperation.... MORE

Executive Summary: Support for Russian presidential candidate Boris Nadezhdin indicates readiness among Russians to oppose the war openly, reflecting discontent with both Putin and ongoing conflicts and motivating the Kremlin to regain support. The Kremlin has linked war benefits to everyday needs, portraying destruction as... MORE

Executive Summary: Moscow is looking to South Asia as a source of new immigrants to compensate for the demographic decline of the Russian population and declining numbers of migrant workers from Central Asia. Such a policy faces enormous obstacles given both the negative attitudes of... MORE

Executive Summary: Russia’s military-industrial complex showed only modest growth in 2023. The manufacturing output index’s increase does not reflect a proportional rise in actual production. The physical output of essential goods for arms manufacturing has revealed minimal growth over the past seven years. While some... MORE

Executive Summary: Liu Jianchao is expected to succeed Qin Gang as foreign minister, emphasizing a focus on maintaining positive relations and creating a market-oriented business environment. But questions have been raised about Liu's qualifications, as he lacks experience as an ambassador and is known for... MORE

Executive Summary: The United Aircraft Corporation (UAC) achieved a net profit of 6.1 billion rubles in the first half of 2023, compared to a net loss of 13.3 billion rubles loss during the same period in 2022. Increased UAC revenue and salaries were largely attributed... MORE

Executive Summary: Russia’s war against Ukraine has led to a surge in alcohol consumption in Russia, reaching 2.3 billion liters in 2023 and mirroring Soviet-era trends. The spike in alcoholism correlates with an increase in violent crime across Russia, with over 589,000 felonies in 2023,... MORE

Executive Summary: Russian officials have played up China’s interest in potentially investing in the Vostok Oil project, though significant challenges remain. The mega-project looks to enhance Moscow’s geopolitical ties with Asia, elevate the Northern Sea Route’s competitiveness with the Suez Canal, and promote economic growth.... MORE