Putin's war fired up Russia's economy and beat sanctions — but big problems lie ahead

• Russia has shrugged off the Western sanctions imposed on it after Vladimir Putin invaded Ukraine.
• The country blunted their impact by ramping up trade with other countries such as India and China.
• Yet Russia's war economy is weaker than it appears and could face major problems, experts say.

Russia's invasion of Ukraine spurred the US and its allies to slap Moscow with sanctions aimed at crushing its war effort and economy.

Two years on, Russia has emerged stronger than virtually anyone predicted. Here's how the nation upended expectations — and why experts are skeptical its success will last.