The problem for Lada is that, despite protectionist measures from the Russian government, russians not only won't buy Ladas but they actually have a huge amount of contempt for their domestic products.

Russian comedians make jokes about Ladas in the same way Jasper Carrott used to make jokes about Skodas and even the new models have a reputation for being dreadful, especially the Kalina which failed an NCAP crash test in spectacular fashion.

Ladas are now cheaper in Russia than foreign competitors, due largely to the recently imposed import tarifs. The russians I know would still rather buy a 5 year old VW than a new Lada for the same money. Actually they would rather have a 20 year old VW than a new Lada.

4 hours ago, 3NUMBAS said:

The problem for Lada is that, despite protectionist measures from the Russian government, russians not only won't buy Ladas but they actually have a huge amount of contempt for their domestic products.

Russian comedians make jokes about Ladas in the same way Jasper Carrott used to make jokes about Skodas and even the new models have a reputation for being dreadful, especially the Kalina which failed an NCAP crash test in spectacular fashion.

Ladas are now cheaper in Russia than foreign competitors, due largely to the recently imposed import tarifs. The russians I know would still rather buy a 5 year old VW than a new Lada for the same money. Actually they would rather have a 20 year old VW than a new Lada.

 

Its moot. Car loan rates are 30%+.  Russians can't afford to buy cars, but when they can, they are preferring the inflated price Chinese cars.

 

Current Ladas are based in modern Renaults, so quite decent, but they lack ABS modules, airbags and emissions controls.

 

VWs built in the last few years are pretty terrible/

 

 

10 hours ago, frank83628 said:

Is that what you USAID funded media tells you?

 

 

No, a Russian told me that.

 

https://www.banki.ru/products/autocredits/

Автокредиты в 2025 году в банках: как выбрать и от чего зависит процентная ставка

 

Loans industry collapsing

 

 

Here's your sign. When you know your economy is doomed.

 

Russian official (a Russian in Russia)  now saying the economy is so bad that no one from 20 to 50 years old will get pensions. He says don't listen to journalists (state propaganda) look at the numbers. Pensions are a big part of any economy. 

 

 

10 hours ago, 3NUMBAS said:

russians not only won't buy Ladas

Your goal is to lie in every message, or what?

Lada is the top sold brand among new cars.

Looking at cumulative data up to December 2024 brand-wise, Lada dominated with 440,878 sales (+25%)

Looking at the best selling models, the leader was the Lada Granta with sales down 1.7% followed by the Lada Vesta (+134.1%) and the Chevrolet Niva(+29.3%).

https://www.focus2move.com/russian-autos-market/

 

On 2/9/2025 at 4:57 AM, MicroB said:

 

Communist Apologist.

Putin supporter. 

3 hours ago, VBer said:

Your goal is to lie in every message, or what?

Lada is the top sold brand among new cars.

Looking at cumulative data up to December 2024 brand-wise, Lada dominated with 440,878 sales (+25%)

Looking at the best selling models, the leader was the Lada Granta with sales down 1.7% followed by the Lada Vesta (+134.1%) and the Chevrolet Niva(+29.3%).

https://www.focus2move.com/russian-autos-market/

 

 

Can you spot the illegal territorial invasion of Crimea and later brutal war on all of sovereign Ukraine?  Hint 2014 and 2022.

 

The only thing supporting minimal sales now is Putin wasting Russia's future economy to mass produce bombs and weapons to drop on civilians because his stone-age mind thinks that's how to win a war. Putin is you problem. Putin is everyone's problem, especially Russians'.

 

 

15 minutes ago, rabas said:

Can you spot the illegal territorial invasion of Crimea and later brutal war on all of sovereign Ukraine?

I haven’t said said anything about declining car sales, I said about lie:

13 hours ago, 3NUMBAS said:

 russians not only won't buy Ladas

While Lada is the top car brand in sales.

https://www.express.co.uk/news/world/2015974/russia-economy-fishing-industry-debt-interest-rates
 

fishing industry collpse

On 2/13/2025 at 1:44 AM, frank83628 said:

Putin supporter. 

 

Self confessed Fascist, OK. But he was a good little communist at one time, pulling out fingernails when in the KGB. And later on, ordering the murder of Russians. He was and is a nasty bit of work, which you seem to revel in. Interesting family history, born with a chip on his shoulder.

On 2/13/2025 at 12:32 AM, rabas said:

Here's your sign. When you know your economy is doomed.

 

Russian official (a Russian in Russia)  now saying the economy is so bad that no one from 20 to 50 years old will get pensions. He says don't listen to journalists (state propaganda) look at the numbers. Pensions are a big part of any economy. 

 

 

 

Well, no Retirement Visas for them.

52 minutes ago, MicroB said:

 

Self confessed Fascist, OK. But he was a good little communist at one time, pulling out fingernails when in the KGB. And later on, ordering the murder of Russians. He was and is a nasty bit of work, which you seem to revel in. Interesting family history, born with a chip on his shoulder.

 supporter of a strong leader,  weak half men might call him a racist or dictator, but they/you are told what to think by other week Western leaders.m

Pulling out fingernails?. haha, got proof? Got proof of these Russian murders or just wild hysterical unfounded accusations told you by your 'trusted news'

On 2/18/2025 at 10:15 PM, frank83628 said:

 supporter of a strong leader,  weak half men might call him a racist or dictator, but they/you are told what to think by other week Western leaders.m

Pulling out fingernails?. haha, got proof? Got proof of these Russian murders or just wild hysterical unfounded accusations told you by your 'trusted news'

 

The commentators have never even been to Russia or Ukraine. Putin has huge support there, like it or not and the economy is strong. Game over soon.

On 2/18/2025 at 3:15 PM, frank83628 said:

 supporter of a strong leader,  weak half men might call him a racist or dictator, but they/you are told what to think by other week Western leaders.m

Pulling out fingernails?. haha, got proof? Got proof of these Russian murders or just wild hysterical unfounded accusations told you by your 'trusted news'

 

 

Your lot sent assassins to London and Salisbury just for a start. They have been fully identified.

 

The Russian government positively identified Vadim Krasikov as both a FSB employee, as being the killer of Zelimkhan Khangoshvili, a Russian national, in 2019. Zelimkhan Khangoshvili

 

You obviously are clueless about Putin's role in the DDR. You should look it up. You are a fool if you believe that people mysteriously falling from windows in Putin;s Russia are just accidents.

 

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2025/02/07/russian-anti-war-singer-dies-after-falling-from-window/

 

https://metro.co.uk/2024/10/21/russian-businessman-close-putin-mysteriously-dies-falling-window-21836681/

 

 

 

 

 

Learn to spell. Or use your native language if unsure,

7 minutes ago, MicroB said:

 

 

Your lot sent assassins to London and Salisbury just for a start. They have been fully identified.

 

The Russian government positively identified Vadim Krasikov as both a FSB employee, as being the killer of Zelimkhan Khangoshvili, a Russian national, in 2019. Zelimkhan Khangoshvili

 

You obviously are clueless about Putin's role in the DDR. You should look it up. You are a fool if you believe that people mysteriously falling from windows in Putin;s Russia are just accidents.

 

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2025/02/07/russian-anti-war-singer-dies-after-falling-from-window/

 

https://metro.co.uk/2024/10/21/russian-businessman-close-putin-mysteriously-dies-falling-window-21836681/

 

 

 

 

 

Learn to spell. Or use your native language if unsure,

Yes, go an assassinate a guy in the UK that's already served his prison term and been released.

Then the house and all information totally cut off from and further investigations whatsever... nothing suss there.

Putin did it end of story. Has the daughter ever spoken about it publically? Didn't the house get demolished?

People can have accidents, I didn't follow the story, I think a few have met their demise, the editor of RT was one I think... but I guess its in Putins best intrests to bump off his top propagandist right.

It not like thet got shot in a failed robbery like Seth Rich, the guy who allegedly leaked clintons emails....

 

 

6 hours ago, frank83628 said:

Yes, go an assassinate a guy in the UK that's already served his prison term and been released.

Then the house and all information totally cut off from and further investigations whatsever... nothing suss there.

Putin did it end of story. Has the daughter ever spoken about it publically? Didn't the house get demolished?

People can have accidents, I didn't follow the story, I think a few have met their demise, the editor of RT was one I think... but I guess its in Putins best intrests to bump off his top propagandist right.

It not like thet got shot in a failed robbery like Seth Rich, the guy who allegedly leaked clintons emails....

 

 

 

 

You are curiously quiet about the 82 actual assasinations conducted by the Russian state in recent years.

 

That's all I need to know about you. NSOAD.

putin depicted as a penis

 

https://www.dailystar.co.uk/news/world-news/putin-turned-giant-10ft-droopy-34721640
 

Russia is likely to face increasing material and economic constraints, along with manpower shortages,

 

Russia is likely to face increasing material and economic constraints, along with manpower shortages, which will put pressure on the Kremlin's ability to sustain its war in the medium to long term, analysts from the Institute for the Study of War (ISW) reported on Feb. 19.

Russian dictator Vladimir Putin initially believed his full-scale invasion of Ukraine would last weeks, not years. His miscalculations about Ukraine’s resilience left Russia unprepared for a prolonged conflict with heavy losses. According to ISW, the ongoing war and battlefield attrition are already causing serious economic problems in Russia, which may reach a critical stage within the next 12 to 18 months.

Russian forces are suffering such severe losses in armored vehicles and artillery that replacing them will be impossible in the long run due to the limitations of Russia’s defense industry and dwindling Soviet-era stockpiles. Russia cannot produce new armored vehicles or artillery systems fast enough to offset its current rate of losses.

 

https://english.nv.ua/amp/russia-faces-deepening-military-and-economic-crisis-amid-heavy-war-losses-isw-reports-50491546.html
 

Kurth Volker comments

 

 

WSJ commenting on Russian covert operations

 

https://www.wsj.com/world/europe/russia-spy-covert-attacks-8199e376

Military historian Dan Snow has some thoughts

 

 

A Russian's round up events inside Russia. This guy used to be a Putin supporter, at one point celebrating a beach holiday in occupied Crimea.

 

 

I wonder who pays these members to write this nonsense?  🤔

MEMRI take on Russian economy

 

https://www.memri.org/reports/how-russian-economy-has-reacted-peace-talks

 

Quote

 

Russian businesses and investors prefer peace above war even while some experts believe otherwise. The reaction to the first signs of rapprochement between President Putin and President Trump was positive since the vast majority of Russian entrepreneurs know quite well that the ongoing conflict is squeezing resources from the country's economy and undermines any prospects for further development – even the Kremlin is generally right when it believes the Russian economy can provide adequate finances, armaments, and people needed for the war, for another several years. Business is more flexible in its projections and so it catches up much faster with the changing reality.

All of the above suggests that in the coming months one should be very aware of the changing mood of Russian business since it seemingly provides perfect estimates of how the political decisions might resonate in Russian society. As in recent days President Trump and his team started to almost take Russia's side in the showdown between Moscow and Kyiv, accusing President Zelensky of many wrongdoings and claiming he has lost his legitimacy,[25] the Russian stock market indexes has resumed their rally on February 20 while the ruble rate has reached 90.4 to the dollar – but, to my mind, these fluctuations are just small "aftershocks" following the main news, and the new direction will be determined with the course of the dialogue on the top level, were it to happen.[26] But, to conclude, I would reiterate: Russian business these days has no fear of peace – quite the contrary: It would welcome it with great enthusiasm.

 

 

https://www.globalbankingandfinance.com/GAZPROMNEFT-RESULTS-de4bf68f-b5c4-4eb2-8c32-a31f98edd1a2

 

Quote

 

Gazprom Neft, the oil arm of Russian energy giant Gazprom, announced on Friday that its net profit for 2024 was 479.5 billion roubles ($5.22 billion), a decrease of 25.2% year-on-year.

The company reported that its revenue reached 4.1 trillion roubles, a 16.5% increase compared to 2023.

 

 

 

So increased costs. Refinery repair costs starting to hit? Or revenue up because the ruble is weak.

Putin's new limo

 

https://zamin.uz/en/world/144685-new-version-of-putins-aurus-car-photo.html

 

It does look like one of those electric London cabs.

 

 

9 minutes ago, MicroB said:

Putin's new limo

 

https://zamin.uz/en/world/144685-new-version-of-putins-aurus-car-photo.html

 

It does look like one of those electric London cabs.

 

 

Won't be much use against a Hellfire missile.

On 2/20/2025 at 8:34 AM, bangadang said:

 

The commentators have never even been to Russia or Ukraine. Putin has huge support there, like it or not and the economy is strong. Game over soon.

True , Putin has support. The body bags are mounting up.

 

Wartime economies mean more employment.

 

Any economy with a collapsing currency is in trouble. Nobody wants to pay in rubles.

 

Then there is food inflation at 10%, and bank interest rates of 21%. I don't need to go to Russia for that information.

 

What does it tell you when a country ceases to publish basic economic data?

https://www.pravda.com.ua/eng/news/2025/01/30/7496040/

 

Quote

 

Tighter lending requirements in banks are pushing more Russians to take out payday loans with interest rates as high as 292% annually.

Source: The Moscow Times, citing another Russian media outlet RBC

Details: In December, 70% of new loans were issued by microfinance organisations (MFOs), compared to 47.4% a year earlier. 

 

The share of microloans in the overall credit structure has also grown significantly. In December, MFO products accounted for 13.6% of total loans issued in Russia, up from just 3.9% at the end of 2023.

Following Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, MFO loans reached 62.7% of all loans by number and 8.7% by volume. The Russian Central Bank reported that from January to September 2024, MFOs issued loans worth RUB 1.26 trillion (approximately US$12.8 billion), a 23.3% increase from the previous year.

Background:

• Consumer loan interest rates in Russian banks ranged from 25% to 38% annually at the beginning of November 2024. However, by 19 November, the maximum rate had risen to 44%.
• Meanwhile, Kremlin leader Vladimir Putin is reportedly increasingly concerned about the challenges facing Russia’s wartime economy, just as Donald Trump continues to push for an end to the war in Ukraine.

 

•  

Why its difficult to hold a Ukrainian Presidential election in areas occupied by Russia:

 

https://cepa.org/article/behind-the-lines-ethnic-cleansing-by-home-loan/

 

Quote

 

Moscow’s banks first started offering subsidized home loans to encourage Russians to colonize Crimea after its annexation, then the program was extended to other occupied territories following the full-scale invasion.  

And as the occupiers seek to step up their drive to sideline local people and Russify Ukraine, they have expanded the categories eligible for cut-price mortgages to include all those who participated in the war on Russia’s side and some specific professions. But not Ukrainians. 

When the home loans were introduced to Crimea in 2019, a workaround to avoid Western sanctions meant someone wanting to buy property had to register in Krasnodar Krai — in Russia — use a Sberbank subsidiary to search for real estate on the peninsula, then travel again to the bank’s branch at Krasnodar Krai to collect their official documents.  

After the full-scale invasion, Sberbank lost its assets in Europe and refocused on the domestic market. Not hiding anymore, it opened ATMs and its first branches in Crimea in 2023.  

A similar process is happening in other Ukrainian territories controlled by Russia. At least four Russian banks are now working there — VTB, Sberbank, Promsvyazbank, and Rostfinance.  

Since 2023, Russia has offered 2% mortgages for newly built homes in the occupied territories of Luhansk, Donetsk, Kherson, and Zaporizhzhia. With Russia’s benchmark interest rate set at 21%, and rampant inflation undercutting the value of any loans, it’s a massive discount.  

In March 2024, the program was expanded to include resale property for selected groups of people.

While all Russian citizens can get the cut-price mortgages for new properties in occupied Ukraine, loans for resale homes are limited to those involved in Vladimir Putin’s “special military operation” and their families. Preferential mortgages are also available for teachers, doctors, cultural workers, and employees of state service— including the FSB, National Guard, and Ministry of Internal Affairs — who are working in occupied areas. 

Russian authorities have set up a portal to explain the program, which makes clear the loans are only available for properties in occupied Ukraine. Many people engaged in the war have asked if they can get the massive discount for properties in Russia as well, but are told they can’t. 

With mortgages issued by VTB for properties in Russia close to 30%, the 2% mortgages in the Donetsk and Luhansk regions are by far the lowest rates the bank offers.