Moscow's top economist talks about Russia's defeat against Ukraine - and is fired
Andrei Klepatsch has been a technocrat in the Russian economic elite since the 1990s. In a speech, he soberly points out what balance sheets reveal about Russia's economy. He says Moscow's war of attrition cannot be won. His dismissal follows promptly. There has long been no room for criticism of any kind in Russia.
Andrei Klepatsch, a prominent Russian economist, was dismissed as chief economist of state development bank VEB after giving a speech in May where he stated that Russia would not win the war in Ukraine and that the country's economy was suffering. Klepatsch's comments, which were reported by The Moscow Times, contradicted the official narrative of Russia's success in the war and President Vladimir Putin's claims of a "victory gene" among Russians.
His swift removal from his position is seen as a sign of the Kremlin's intolerance for criticism and dissent, and a warning to others to carefully choose their words. Klepatsch, a long-time member of Russia's economic elite, had previously served in various government roles, including as deputy economics minister.
Written by urgent.news from NZZ Wirtschaft's report — not a translation of it. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
