‘ECONOMY IS STABLE’: PUTIN

Sun 15 January 2023:

After the West imposed the most severe sanctions in modern history over the war in Ukraine, Russia’s economy has shown remarkable resilience but the world’s biggest producer of natural resources is now turning increasingly towards China.

“The situation in the economy is stable,” Putin said. “Much better than not only what our opponents predicted but also what we forecast.”

Putin said unemployment was a key indicator. “Unemployment is at a historic low. Inflation is lower than expected and has, importantly, a downward trend.”

Russia’s economy contracted in 2022 under the weight of sanctions, but way less than most economists forecast. The $2.14 trillion economy is forecast by the Russian government to contract by 0.8 percent in 2023.

Positive dynamic in military operation in Ukraine

Russian President Vladimir Putin says the special military operation is showing a positive trend and that he hopes Russian soldiers would deliver further gains after Soledar.

“The dynamic is positive,” Putin told Rossiya 1 state television. “Everything is developing within the framework of the plan of the Ministry of Defense and the General Staff.

“And I hope that our fighters will please us even more with the results of their combat,” Putin said.

missile strikes against Ukraine on Saturday: Interfax

Russia’s defence ministry says its forces had launched a wave of missile strikes against Ukrainian military and infrastructure sites on Saturday, the Interfax news agency has reported.

The Russian defence ministry did not mention Dnipro as a specific target of any strikes. In its statement Russia said: “All assigned objects were hit. The targets of the strike have been achieved.”

Russia also said its troops had made progress towards the city of Bakhmut in Ukraine’s Donetsk region, which has been the focus of Russian attacks for months. It said its troops had advanced towards the northern outskirts of the city.

SOURCE: INDEPENDENT PRESS AND NEWS AGENCIES

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