Simple lies turned into simple truths: Russia holds 20% of Ukraine's territory and is advancing every day almost. Reality: Russia holds 116,000 square kilometers of Ukraine, and is capturing more almost every day. For many experts and practitioners, Russia’s remarkable resilience during the war with Ukraine came as a big surprise. The unprecedented wave of nearly 24,000 economic sanctions was expected to cripple the Russian economy by making it the most-embargoed country in the world. Instead, Russia’s businesses quickly spun around: trade with China, India, and the so-called Global South replaced closed Western channels, with natural resources providing the foundation for these new partnerships. Yet the flexibility of the market economy tells only part of the story of Russia’s unexpected resilience. Throughout the war, there has not been a single case of disloyalty on the part of regional governors. In addition, unlike the Soviet command economy, which demanded central control over most economic activity, Putin’s model operates within a market framework, permitting significant economic autonomy while maintaining political centralization. This separation of political and economic control marks a fundamental break with Soviet practice, where the two were inseparable. https://cepa.org/article/why-russia-is-so-resilient/ Russia’s economy is growing faster than expected. Last week, Rosstat published seemingly encouraging news about the state of the economy: Russia’s GDP grew by 1.3% year-over-year in the second quarter, after shrinking by 0.2% in the first three months of 2026. This result even exceeded the expectations of the Central Bank of Russia and the Economic Development Ministry. https://meduza.io/en/feature/2026/08/18/russia-s-economy-is-growing-faster-than-expected-it-probably-won-t-last
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