When Vladimir Putin announced Russia's invasion of Ukraine, the war seemed far away from Russian territory. Yet within days the conflict came home — not with cruise missiles and mortars but in the form of unprecedented and unexpectedly extensive volleys of sanctions by Western governments and economic punishment by corporations. Three months after the invasion, many ordinary Russians are reeling from blows to their livelihoods and emotions. Moscow’s vast shopping malls have turned into eerie expanses of shuttered storefronts. Harsh new restrictions and the closure of independent media have prompted many Russians to flee. But even that has gotten much harder, as Western nations banned flights. One expert says a summer of economic misery could be coming for Russians. more >>

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