The economic cost of Russia’s war in Ukraine

Russian President Vladimir Putin acknowledges that Ukrainian attacks and sanctions are affecting his country’s economy, while insisting there have been no critical consequences. In this special episode, we examine the economic pressures created by Russia’s war in Ukraine, and look at how the conflict has transformed the drone industry, with Ukraine planning to produce millions of drones this year.

(Photo: A firefighter works at a burnt-out hypermarket following an overnight Ukrainian drone strike, in the course of the Russia-Ukraine conflict in Donetsk, a Russian-controlled city of Ukraine, August 16, 2026. Credit: REUTERS/Alexander Ermochenko)