Claim on X says Russia is now richer than at any time since the Soviet collapse

A comment circulating on X claims that Russia is now richer than at any time since the Soviet collapse, despite sanctions and isolation. The statement mixes a debatable idea with a figure that depends on what is measured and in which currency.

The claim is spreading on X: "Russia is now richer than at any time since the Soviet collapse." It was posted by a commentator along with a video. Behind it lies an old debate: how a country's wealth is measured and whether sanctions have worked.

## What is being compared when we say "richer"

Russian GDP measured in dollars collapsed after 2022 due to the fall of the ruble, not because the economy produced less. In rubles, GDP grew in 2023 and 2024, driven by military spending and public consumption. That is the core of the argument: aggregate output did not sink the way many predicted.

The problem is that GDP does not measure well-being. A country that manufactures tanks and ammunition boosts its GDP without households living any better. Wealth per capita, real wages and access to imported technology tell a different story.

## Sanctions, isolation and the narrative that slips in

Western sanctions hit banking, aviation and technology, but did not shut off the oil tap: **China**, **India** and **Turkey** buy Russian crude at a discount. That keeps the state's coffers going. Trade was redirected, not eliminated.

The Russian Central Bank raised interest rates to **21%** in 2024 to curb inflation. An economy "richer than ever" does not need rates like that. The figure refutes the tweet's euphoria better than any editorial could.

## Why this statement matters

The claim is a piece of propaganda in both directions. Whoever spreads it wants to say that sanctions failed. Whoever denies it wants to say that Russia is bleeding out. Neither version survives serious scrutiny.

What is verifiable is more boring: Russia endures, with a militarized economy, high inflation and dependence on Asian partners. That is not wealth; it is endurance. And endurance, in economics, comes at a price.