Russian state economist fired after stark warning about Moscow’s economic future

Andrei Klepach, chief economist at Russia's state development bank VEB.RF, has been dismissed following public remarks in which he warned that Moscow is losing an economic "war of attrition" against the West. According to Reuters, the dismissal comes as the European Union prepares a significant expansion of sanctions targeting Russia's military-industrial base. In a speech delivered in May to the Nikitsky Club, Klepach stated that Russia is falling behind in global technological and economic competition and is facing mounting costs from the war in Ukraine. He argued that Russia would not win this war of attrition and noted that, contrary to some expectations, the Ukrainian economy has not collapsed. While VEB.RF confirmed Klepach's departure, it provided no official reason. A European intelligence source told Fox News Digital that while Russia faces long-term structural economic issues, current oil revenues are providing the Kremlin with enough budget flexibility to sustain the war effort in the near term. Meanwhile, in a separate development, Lev Shlosberg, a prominent opposition figure and deputy chairman of the Yabloko party, was sentenced to 11 years and one month in a penal colony for allegedly "discrediting" the Russian armed forces.