However, falling energy prices and tighter sanctions in 2023 caused a drop in Russia’s export revenue. The G7 countries, the EU and Australia imposed a cap on the price of Russian oil, which led to decreased foreign currency inflows and thus a reduction in the value of the rouble.

Economists suspect a sudden collapse of the Russian rouble could be imminent due to rising import costs and foreign exchange panic.

Putin has a long list of economic concerns. So we asked the experts: What is the Russian economy's greatest vulnerability?

Russia’s economy is wobbling under a mountain of pressure, and the cracks are becoming harder to hide. This week, the ruble plunged to 114 against the dollar, its weakest since the chaotic days following Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022.

The rouble has dramatically lost value, and Russians are worried about food prices and are now openly criticising Putin's officials. "We would like to see Russia descending into the abyss of an economic crisis,