Part 12/14:
Russia's economy is shrinking. Production of cars and electronics has plummeted, small businesses are shuttering in droves, and job prospects are bleak. Reliance on the Kremlin’s control over private enterprise has stifled innovation and competition, pushing the country toward an increasingly centralized, fragile economic system.
Sanctions and the ruble’s depreciation—falling from 60 to the dollar in 2022 to over 105 by 2025—visualize this economic deterioration. Imported goods and medications are now exorbitant, and shortages complicate daily life.