Yuri Kobzar16:12, 19.10.25

It got to the point where they began cutting payments to volunteers for sending them to the front, even though numerical superiority is Russia’s main trump card in the war.

In the fourth year  of the full-scale war against Ukraine , Russia is showing all the signs of a deepening economic crisis. And even if the war ends, the situation will not improve, according to the Russian opposition project “We Can Explain . “

The publication notes that official economic statistics in Russia diverge significantly from reality. This is clearly demonstrated by inflation. Since the start of the war, prices for most items in Moscow supermarkets, according to journalists’ calculations, have increased by 60-65%, and for some goods, by half. Meanwhile, so-called shrinkflation is in full swing—producers are quietly reducing pack and bottle sizes to avoid raising prices, or to raise them less dramatically. 

A new manifestation of the crisis for Russia is the fuel shortage caused by Ukrainian strikes on Russian refineries. The “energy superpower” is now unable to supply even its domestic market with fuel. 

“The Russian economy has no good options at all. Russia has gotten itself into trouble. And even if the war suddenly ended tomorrow, things wouldn’t get any better. Do you think Russia would immediately start exporting oil and gas to Europe? No, the train has left the station—Trump has hijacked it,” commented Igor Lipsits, a doctor of economics.

A clear illustration of the true state of the Russian economy was the wave of pay cuts for volunteers contracted to fight in the war against Ukraine. Since 2023, generous paychecks have become the primary tool for recruiting “cannon fodder” for the front, with regions competing with each other for the number of contract soldiers they could recruit, constantly increasing payouts.

However, the process has now reversed. The analytical group Conflict Intelligence Team has noted that in recent weeks, several Russian regions have begun to cut volunteer payments due to budget shortages. Even the authorities of wealthy St. Petersburg have made this decision. Moreover, this is being done quietly, without unnecessary publicity.

(c)UNIAN 2025