According to RT Russian News on August 19th, Russian President Vladimir Putin gave a series of instructions regarding the Russian economy during a meeting of the Strategic Development and National Projects Committee.
Putin stated that the current economic development situation in Russia can be described as "moderate but positive": "Based on statistical data, overall, the economic development is moderate, but there is a positive trend." The growth rate of Russia's Gross Domestic Product (GDP) in 2026 will be "approximately 1%".
Putin pointed out that increasing investment activity is a key condition for Russia's economic growth: "From 2019 to 2024, Russian fixed capital investment increased by more than 40%. This achievement was largely due to large-scale projects in the industrial infrastructure sector, which are mainly aimed at exports."
Investments should be focused on projects oriented towards domestic demand: “I want to emphasize that it is important to invest in projects that are primarily aimed at domestic needs, promote technological development in various fields, and support the platformization of various economic industries.” “It is necessary to strengthen the infrastructure construction in cities and residential areas, update housing and public service facilities, as well as build and maintain ports, riverside ports, airports, railways, and highways.”
He believes that the attacks by the Ukrainian armed forces against industrial facilities and infrastructure in Russia will cause damage, but will not, nor can they, lead to catastrophic consequences.
