Russia removes top economist after warning it cannot sustain a long war of attrition, according to report

Russia’s government has reportedly dismissed a senior economist, Andrei Klepach, after he presented an assessment warning that Russia could not win a prolonged war of attrition against Ukraine, according to a CNBC report published August 18. The report frames Klepach’s removal as a political and institutional dispute over what Russia’s economic capacity can realistically sustain as the war enters a lengthened phase.

The CNBC account says Klepach was removed from his role after he presented material arguing that Russia’s economy would struggle to endure the kind of extended, attritional contest that analysts often describe as requiring sustained production, labor mobilization, and fiscal support over years. The report does not describe the full internal process for the dismissal or provide official documentation of the decision.

In contrast to the reported warning, Russia has continued to describe its economy as strong and able to withstand the pressures associated with the war and Western sanctions. The CNBC report highlights the mismatch between the government’s public posture and an internal evaluation attributed to Klepach about Russia’s ability to persist under conditions of long-term attrition.

The firing comes amid heightened scrutiny of how Russia accounts for war-related economic strain, including how policymakers balance military requirements with domestic priorities such as wages, consumer goods, investment, and infrastructure. While the report focuses on the decision to remove Klepach, it underscores that economic assessments can carry institutional consequences inside the Russian government.

Because the CNBC report characterizes the dismissal largely through attribution rather than quoting an official termination notice, some details remain unclear, including who ordered the change, the exact scope of Klepach’s duties prior to removal, and whether the assessment itself was formally challenged in writing or debated in a broader internal review.

Still, the episode fits a wider pattern in which economic narratives become entwined with wartime governance, particularly when assessments are perceived as contradicting the state’s public messaging. For external observers, such personnel changes can report how Russia manages dissent within technical institutions and how it expects public-facing statements to align with official strategy.

What happens next will depend on whether Russia publicly names a replacement for Klepach or clarifies the official rationale for the change. The CNBC report indicates the dispute is tied to the content of the assessment, meaning future economic presentations and projections may be closely watched for whether they reflect the same range of views within the government’s economic leadership.