29 May 2026

Russia is the world’s largest energy exporter, sitting on a vast sea of oil. Yet, behind the Kremlin’s wall of economic propaganda, a historic structural crisis has just forced fuel imports to skyrocket by an astronomical 60,000%. The war economy is officially eating itself.

In this episode of the Weekly Economic Review, Konstantin exposes the catastrophic mathematical reality that the state media is desperately trying to hide from the Russian public. Domestic refining capacity is cratering under the weight of unrelenting infrastructure blackouts, creating a localized panic as the high-demand summer agriculture and travel seasons begin.
To hide physical shortages at the pump, the Kremlin has entered a cycle of pure economic absurdity: Russia is exporting raw crude to its vassal state, Belarus, and buying the refined gasoline back at a staggering 45% financial premium.

We break down the raw stock exchange data from the past two weeks, the imminent wave of bankruptcies facing independent gas station networks, and why this humiliating import loop proves the regime is running out of options to sustain its system.

I’m Konstantin Samoilov, a Russian in exile and creator of Inside Russia community. I talk to people inside the country every day, follow the numbers and the mood, study Russia under microscope and share my findings with the world. I cut through the noise and state propaganda to deliver the unvarnished economic reality on the ground.No hype — just facts. Sources: open public data and reporting (Russia Today, MinFin, CBR, Rosstat, business press). This video is commentary and analysis for information/education only and follows YouTube community guidelines.