Overview
- Official data presented by President Vladimir Putin show Russia’s GDP contracted 2.1% year over year in January.
- Industrial production also declined 0.8% in January, according to figures cited at a government meeting.
- Putin attributed part of the weakness to a higher number of public holidays compared with 2025.
- He instructed the government to implement actions intended to return the economy to a sustainable growth path.
- Coverage notes that wartime defense output had previously supported headline growth as civilian sectors showed strain and that experts question whether official statistics fully capture underlying weakness.