Russia's economy is suffering not only from sanctions and the war in Ukraine. Permafrost in regions critical to Russia's economy is starting to thaw, posing a threat to vital infrastructure, according to Ukraine's Foreign Intelligence Service.

Russia's economic growth rate is undergoing an expected slowdown this year, Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Monday. "This year, the growth rate of the Russian economy has passed the expected stage of slowdown.

Over the past 30 years, the depth of seasonal thawing of the upper permafrost layer in Russia has increased from 45 to 70 cm, placing 1,260 km of major gas pipelines and thousands of kilometers of roads in the danger zone.

Russians are starting to notice. In a recent survey, says Vladimir Zvonovsky, a sociologist in the Russian city of Samara, the number of those saying their well-being was deteriorating was triple those saying it was improving. It is now at the highest level since the start of the war.

The Russian rouble will be stronger than previously expected, which represents a challenge for the economy, with several major export-oriented mega projects potentially suffering losses, top Russian officials said on Tuesday.

Economic and military pressures could force Russia’s hand. Its economy is strained but not enough to do that, analysts say. And President Vladimir V. Putin says Russia is winning the war.

MOSCOW (Reuters) -Russia sees economic growth in 2025 slowing to 1.5%, far below the earlier 2.5% forecast, as high interest rates imposed to reduce inflation have stifled borrowing, Finance Minister Anton Siluanov told President Vladimir Putin on Wednesday.

The probability of changing educational class was 52-53% in China compared to 45-46% in Russia, but roughly 68-81% of China's mobility and 57-68% of Russia's came from structural change rather than exchange mobility. At the steady state, Russia shows greater educational mobility, at about 42%, than China, which tracked at 19-27%.

Undisclosed appendices to current peace proposals detail the Trump administration’s plan to unlock frozen Russian funds held in Europe and bring Moscow in from the cold.

India gave Russia's leader a warm welcome in his first visit since his country invaded Ukraine. The visit in part signaled India's defiance of the U.S., which has punished New Delhi for buying Russian oil.

Russia's war-driven boom is starting to look hollow from the factory floor and the front line. As troops and industrial workers complain of delayed or missing wages, the Kremlin's promise of stability is colliding with the hard limits of a budget stretched by conflict,