https://x.com/Gerashchenko_en/status/1959349554987315615
What's happening with the Russian economy:
◾ Automotive industry
Sales of passenger cars and trucks have dropped due to high loan interest rates. Tens of thousands of vehicles are stuck at the car factories' warehouses with no buyers in sight.
In 2024, KAMAZ sold almost one-third fewer trucks than in 2021. The plant incurred a net loss of 3.4 billion rubles ($42.2 million), revenue fell by 8.8%, and profit from sales decreased 15-fold.
KAMAZ workers even had to be moved to a four-day work week. But while in Europe this is done to boost productivity and take care of employees, in Russia, it's aimed at cutting production and optimizing costs. Other machine-building factories that produce civilian equipment and can't find buyers are also reducing the work week.
◾ Agricultural machinery industry
Production of farm machinery has collapsed by 27%. Farmers don't have the money for new combines, loans are unaffordable, and old machines are reaching the end of their service life. Rostselmash and other manufacturers are also switching to shortened work weeks. Meanwhile, the fields are seeing the harvest of a "compact (poor) crop."
◾ Agriculture
For the second year in a row, southern regions are experiencing a record-low harvest. Russia may lose up to 25% of its grain crop. May frosts and drought devastated the crops, while the high Central Bank rate and rising fuel prices have made farming unprofitable. Russia is now importing butter from the UAE and potatoes from Mongolia.
◾ Construction
After a brief surge in late 2024-early 2025, growth rates fell to 2.6% in March 2025. Almost no new projects are being launched, and the production of building materials and metals is stagnating. Why? Because there's no demand, while wage arrears at construction companies are increasing.
>part 1