Russia’s Economy Has Defied the Skeptics. Cracks Are Getting Harder to Hide

The article argues that early predictions of rapid economic collapse in Russia were wrong, largely due to adaptation, resource revenues, and continued economic reshaping. However, it says the strain is now becoming more visible: pressures on productivity, financing, and living costs are surfacing, alongside limits on industrial scaling and technology access. The “cracks” refer to growing inefficiencies and weakening momentum that skeptics anticipated but that took longer to emerge. It frames the current moment as a shift from hidden stress to noticeable decline.