The upside-down life of Russians in the midst of an unprecedented "storm" of sanctions

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 The lives of Russian people have changed a lot after President Vladimir Putin announced the opening of a military operation in neighboring Ukraine.


Days after President Vladimir Putin announced the opening of a military operation in Ukraine in late February, the Russians have felt the impact of unprecedented sanctions from Western governments and economic groups.


McDonald's, a fast food restaurant that has been open in Russia since 1990 and is seen as a symbol of Western culture, has withdrawn from Russia in protest of the military operation in Ukraine. IKEA, a famous furniture company, also stopped operating in Russia. Tens of thousands of jobs suddenly disappeared in a short time.


Big businesses, including oil giants like BP, Shell and carmaker Renault, have also decided to leave, despite their huge investments in Russia. Shell estimates it will lose about 5 billion USD when withdrawing from Russia.


It is also more difficult for Russians to travel, as the 27 member states of the European Union (EU), along with the US and Canada, have banned flights to and from Russia. The journey from Moscow to the Estonian capital Tallinn is extended by at least 12 hours with a transit point in Istanbul, Turkey, instead of just 90 minutes as before.


Even the use of the Internet and social networks has shrunk. Russia in March banned Facebook and Instagram, and blocked access to many foreign news websites, including the UK, US and Germany.


Russia also has to face economic consequences, and these have so far not shown up in full force.


In the early days of the conflict, the Russian ruble depreciated, but the efforts of the Russian government helped to restore the value of the local currency. Chris Weafer, a Russian economic analyst, said that the strong ruble also caused problems for the national budget.


"They receive foreign currency revenue from exporters and pay in rubles. So a stronger ruble means less spending. That also makes Russian exporters less competitive. more competitive, when their goods are expensive in the world market," explained Mr. Weafer.


Russian economic activities were also affected after the wave of sanctions.


"We see the current economic downturn across a range of sectors. Companies warn they're running out of spare parts. Many have had to put employees on part-time jobs, and others have. warned them to close completely. So there's a real worry that unemployment will rise in the summer months, and consumption and retail sales as well as investment will plummet," the analyst said. Russian economic analysis.


If the conflict drags on, many companies could withdraw from Russia. Weafer said that companies that have stopped working can continue to reopen if Russia and Ukraine reach a truce or peace is established. However, he believes that this possibility is not high.


"If you walk around the shopping centers of Moscow, you can see many fashion stores, Western business groups, just pull down the shutters. Their shelves are still full of goods and the lights are still on. They are simply is not opening stores and they have not fully withdrawn. They are waiting to see what happens next," Mr. Weafer said.


However, these companies will soon have to resolve the limbo, according to Mr. Weafer.


"We're now getting to the point where companies are starting to run out of time, or maybe run out of patience," warned Mr Weafer.

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