Ben Aris in Moscow
Fri, 25th Feb -- There is nothing fundamentally wrong with the Russian economy and if anything, by squeezing out all the leverage, the crisis has left Russia's companies in an even more robust shape than they were before."

bne
Fri, 25th Feb -- Regardless of which of the Brics is currently in vogue, it's safe to say that Russia tends to be the least loved of the four. Nevertheless, an increasing number are arguing that's not entirely fair on Russia.

bne
Fri, 25th Feb -- The slow pain inflicted by the budget deficit was supposed to continue to 2015. Thing is, it looks like Russia is going to get there a lot sooner than even the most optimistic had dared hope.

Ben Aris in Moscow
Fri, 25th Feb -- Import substitution in Russia has started, as the economic crisis has caused a real change in the structure of the economy.

Nicholas Watson in Prague
Fri, 25th Feb -- bne, like many other Russia watchers, has been calling for some time for the Kremlin to start tackling the thorny problem of the pension system, and now S&P has waded into the debate, warning that the country's debt could soar to 585% of GDP by 2050 as the population declines and the government spends more on pensioners.