Kovaleva outlined how Russian businesses have faced sanctions, tax hikes, fuel shortages, and blackouts. The strikes on Wildberries represent a new level of economic pressure.
Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy noted that warehouses targeted by drones were linked to supplying military drone components to Russian forces.
Wildberries evacuated a warehouse in Ryazan after drone strikes. Russian banks reportedly developed loan restructuring programs amid fears of bankruptcies among vendors.
Elina Ribakova of the Peterson Institute for International Economics assessed that Russia's economy is stalling.
Zero growth is expected in 2026, with a meaningful slowdown in industrial output, including defense production.
Ribakova also highlighted potential impacts from U. S.
sanctions and regional conflicts involving Iran. This indicates Russia's vulnerability in sustaining its war efforts.
