the effects of economic sanctions in Russia

Thursday, April 7, the 43rd day of war in Ukraine, Western economic sanctions are not very visible in Zvenigorod (Russia), not far from Moscow, where most of the products consumed are local. In the majority of Russian businesses, the effect of Western economic sanctions translates into higher prices. “Coffee has increased quite a bit, from 15 to 20%”explains a trader.

Some sectors, such as garages, suffered more. Car maintenance becomes a luxury. “Maintenance becomes nonsense, it takes 1,000 euros for an oil change on a [voiture] high-end German. Spare parts, we still have them, but the prices have been multiplied by three or four”, notes Dimitri Karmanoski, garage manager. On a daily basis, the upper middle classes and young urbanites, accustomed to a more Western way of life, are the most penalized by economic sanctions.