Struggling, economic backwaters of Russia have seen a resurgence with Putin's war in Ukraine. The British Telegraph had a long and interesting piece on why parts of Russia do not want an end to the war: Russia's new middle class simply cannot afford it.

When Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022, many Western economists predicted it would face impending economic collapse in the face of the world’s harshest sanctions.

As the war approaches its fourth anniversary, the economy is under strain – but there has been no crisis. If anything, for some Russians life has improved.

The biggest benefactors are impoverished industrial areas that have suffered decades of decline, experiencing a fate similar to once-wealthy parts of the West.

Many towns and smaller cities across Russia that relied o

See Full Page