Chief economist at key Russian state development bank reportedly fired after warning of economic defeat to West

According to one of The Bell’s sources, VEB.RF head Igor Shuvalov dismissed Klepach following an order "from above." A second source confirmed that the firing was connected to Klepach’s May remarks.

We are falling behind. We are losing both the technological and economic competition in the world. And, as I have already said, we are losing it not only to China and the United States — in some respects, we are losing it to Ukraine," Klepach said.

Two weeks later, the replacement guy rolls in and presumably announces that Russia is stomping China and the US economically and technologically, despite simultaneously waging a war against Ukraine. This new position, while establishing by example new limits on what it is politically-acceptable to say, does not improve matters in Russia.

The firings will continue until the economy improves.

I swear when I read this article yesterday I wondered when he'll fall out of the window. I guess he is lucky!