Russia's economic growth is masking a looming 'economic catastrophe,' researchers say

• Russia's economy is growing but headed for big trouble, researchers wrote in a recent article.
• They pointed to Russia's outsized military spending, which has come at the cost of its private sector.
• Russia's finances look rocky in other areas as well, thanks partly to Western sanctions.

Russia's wartime economic boom is masking much deeper problems, according to a group of researchers.

The authors of a recent article, who hail from institutions including the Yale School of Management, the Wharton School, the Carnegie Endowment, and the Kyiv School of Economics, cast a stark warning for Russia's economic situation despite the nation posting strong growth numbers since its invasion of Ukraine in 2022.