Russia’s Own Economist Told the Truth—Then He Was Fired

Russia’s own economist warned that the country could not win a prolonged war of attrition against Ukraine and its Western supporters. After Andrei Klepach’s warning became public, he was removed from his position at Russia’s state development bank VEB. In this video, I examine what Klepach actually said—and why Moscow may have found it so dangerous. I then trace one week of mounting economic pressure inside Russia: gasoline shortages and purchase limits, struggling government bond sales, billions withdrawn from banks, declining physical gold reserves, severe labor shortages, disrupted grain exports and the growing costs of Ukrainian strikes. None of these developments proves that Russia is about to collapse. Together, however, they support Klepach’s central warning: Russia may be able to continue the war while steadily losing the larger economic and technological contest. The Kremlin can silence the economist. It cannot silence fuel lines, frightened depositors, labor shortages or the accumulating cost of a war that Russia assumed it could outlast. CHAPTERS 00:00 Russia’s own economist says it cannot win 01:48 Andrei Klepach is fired 02:29 Russia’s gasoline crisis returns 03:24 Sberbank reports record profits 04:07 Russia’s government bond warning 04:46 Fuel shortages spread toward Moscow 06:51 Moscow promises the refineries will return 07:09 Putin denies serious economic damage 08:29 Lower-quality gasoline damages Russian cars 09:41 Russians withdraw billions from banks 10:30 Russia’s physical gold holdings decline 11:14 Russia searches India for missing workers 12:04 Russian wheat exports plunge 13:42 The proposal involving Russians’ bank deposits 15:40 A 10-kilometer line for gasoline 16:06 Can economic pressure slow the war machine? 17:51 Putin’s miraculous economic landing Facts over noise. Context over headlines. Truth over talking points. Principle over partisanship. #Russia #Ukraine #RussiaEconomy #Putin #UkraineWar Fundraisers video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BMTs6amkGUg and Here is the direct link to the Ukraine Support Bridge: https://ukrainesupportbridge.com/ - Ukrainian Refugee M's Room and Board is covered for this year. It is not for the rest of her time at CSU. I will be pushing on the other fundraisers for now, but if you still wish to give to make that whole (Aprox 48K total), here is the direct link: https://www.gofundme.com/f/support-ms-journey-at-charleston-southern-university?attribution_id=sl:2708fb35-6c96-49b9-a5f9-6b7567483de6&lang=en_US&ts=1786462653&utm_campaign=fp_sharesheet&utm_content=amp30-treatment-3&utm_medium=customer&utm_source=copy_link ***** To support me as as I provide Ukraine war context: ***** Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/ProfessorGerdesExplains Buy Me A Coffee: https://buymeacoffee.com/professorgerdes Paypal: https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/professorgerdes YouTube Channel Membership: https://www.youtube.com/@Professor-Gerdes/membership 🇺🇸 Contact the White House to express your support for Ukraine https://www.whitehouse.gov/contact/ *****IF YOU WISH TO PROVIDE DIRECT AID TO UKRAINE: ***** 🇺🇦 I have partnered with Greg Terry for all donations to Ukraine. He has raised and delivered more than a quarter of a million dollars of aid to date. To directly support this effort of delivering necessary provisions to the front lines, click on these links (and then watch him give your donations to soldiers on the front lines on his channel): https://www.youtube.com/@GregTerryExperience Amazon Shopping List USA/North America (Shop and send to UKRAINE AID c/o Bethel Life's Gift Registry Address) https://a.co/iodWsUK Amazon Shopping List for EU/UK https://www.amazon.de/hz/wishlist/ls/... Direct Link for Financial Giving via our 501(c)(3) Tax-Deductible in the USA https://www.gregterry.org/donate.html Link for Greg's 501(c)(3) EIN Information https://www.gregterry.org/donate.html 🇺🇸 Alternatively, you may choose to donate to Samaritan’s Purse: https://www.samaritanspurse.org/our-ministry/ukraine-response/?utm_source=FY22UkraineResponseVanityURL&utm_medium=direct&utm_campaign=m_YUKR-22L3&utm_content=Ukraine-Response-Redirect%20%20 🇺🇦 If you wish to support the Ukrainian Army, give directly to United 24. Follow this link: https://u24.gov.ua/ ***BUY SOMETHING TO SHOW YOUR SUPPORT FOR UKRAINE *** 🇺🇸 This is the absolute CHEAPEST THING YOU CAN DO to support Ukraine (This is NOT MY SITE) https://amzn.to/4aPtwQr - Just support the war effort somehow. 🇺🇦 I wrote a book about Ukraine's president Zelenskyy which I have updated for the first 4-5 months of the war in Ukraine: It is free if you have Amazon Kindle Unlimited or $9.99 otherwise: https://amzn.to/3Q2wnyE #UKRAINE #UKRAINERUSSIAWAR #UKRAINEWAR