Posts about a sharp rise in wage arrears have been removed in Russia
Several major Russian media outlets published and then removed reports on the rise in wage arrears. According to The Bell, news of the increase in arrears to nearly 3 billion rubles first appeared in several pro-Kremlin media outlets.
The articles were available for a time on the websites of Komsomolskaya Pravda, Kommersant, and Ura.ru. Currently, the articles are unavailable via the links, but their previews can be seen on Google.
As Meduza reported, state media outlets were sent a memo recommending that they “ignore as much as possible” Rosstat data showing that overdue wage arrears had risen to their highest levels since 2019. Leading Russian news agencies, which usually report on new official statistics promptly, ignored the publication of this data.
According to Rosstat, as of the end of April 2026, overdue wage arrears had increased by 750.3 million rubles (+35%) compared to March. Compared to the same period in 2025, the increase amounted to 1.4 billion rubles (+94.3%).
As a reminder, the number of unprofitable banks in Russia rose to 60, accounting for nearly 20% of the market as of May 7, 2026. Analysts attribute the deterioration in performance to prolonged tight monetary policy and a high key rate, which is putting pressure on the financial sector.
The financial performance of Russian companies in 2026 shows a significant deterioration. In January–February, the aggregate net profit of businesses amounted to 3.4 trillion rubles, which is 33.1% less than in the same period last year.
In addition, Russia has begun selling gold from its reserves due to falling oil and gas revenues. Over 21 tons have already been sold in the first quarter of 2026. This is a sign that the country’s budget is facing serious problems. Russia has begun selling gold from its reserves due to falling oil and gas revenues. Over 21 tons have already been sold in the first quarter of 2026. This is a sign that the country’s budget is facing serious problems.
