Russia's economy is stumbling and could be headed for stagnation, economists said. Higher rates can help achieve those goals by tightening financial conditions, but that spells bad news for the rest of Russia's economy, which is already struggling. Russia's economic situation ran into trouble not long after it began its "special military operation" in Ukraine early last year. Prices could fall to just 5.6% in September, the center's economists forecasted, still around 1.5 times Russia's 4% targeted inflation rate. Western scholars and researchers, meanwhile, say that under-the-radar statistics of Russia's economy show a far weaker picture of Moscow's finances than Putin has let on.

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Persons: Putin Organizations: Service, Russian Center Locations: Wall, Silicon, Ukraine, Russia