The Russian government has warned the economy
will fall into recession next year as Western sanctions, in response to its
role in eastern Ukraine, and falling oil prices begin to bite.
Russia's economic development ministry
estimates the economy will contract by 0.8% next year.
It had previously estimated the the economy
would grow by 1.2% in 2015.
Russia's reliance on tax revenues from the oil
industry makes it particularly sensitive to price movements.
Household disposable incomes are also forecast
to decline by as much as 2.8%, compared with a previous estimate that they
would grow by 0.4%.
The sharp revision in Russia's economic
forecast is the

