Russia's war economy is under more pressure.

Military spending has made the budget deficit bigger.

Growth has slowed.

Consumers and businesses feel worse.

But economists say a collapse is not near.

Oil prices are high.

The Iran war helps this.

So money still comes in for now.

Unemployment is low.

The government spends money in poor regions.

This limits public complaints.

This fits the Kremlin's message of stability.

A parliamentary election is Friday through Sunday.

Still, economists warn about longer-term problems.

These problems weaken the economy's foundations.

They could one day cause a crisis.

Consumer sentiment has fallen since its 2024-25 peak.

Gasoline prices are higher.

Ukrainian drone strikes have caused shortages.

They have hit refineries.

Strikes on online retailers Wildberries and Ozon have cost small businesses inventory and customers.

Growth has slowed from over 4% in 2023-24.

The government expects 0.6% this year.

The Levada Center's consumer sentiment index fell to 94 in the summer.

It was 116 in 2025.

In Moscow, voters mostly mentioned pensions and prices.

The budget deficit reached 2.8% of annual output by late July.

This is almost twice the target.

Reserve fund resources have shrunk to 1.6% of GDP.

This forces domestic borrowing at rates up to 17%.