It is claimed that the real situation of the Russian economy is more severe than official statistical indicators.
Modern.az reports that Thomas Nilsson, head of the Swedish Military Intelligence Service, spoke about this in an interview published in the "Financial Times" newspaper on April 20.
Citing intelligence data, Nilsson stated that the inflation rate in Russia may be close to 15 percent, not 5.86 percent as announced by official bodies. According to him, the figures presented by the Central Bank of Russia do not fully reflect reality.
He also emphasized that the deficit in the state budget is understated. According to the assessment, the actual deficit may be approximately 30 billion US dollars more than the official figures.
The interview also drew attention to possible crisis risks in the banking sector.
According to Nilsson, the Russian economy is either entering a long-term recession phase or may face a sharper financial crisis.
