Russian economy grows 1.3% in Q2 after contraction

Russia's economy grew 1.3 percent in the second quarter, the statistics agency Rosstat said Wednesday, rebounding after a 0.2 percent contraction in January-March.

The April-June growth exceeded the 0.9 percent forecast by Russia's economy ministry. Rosstat data showed the economy had grown 1.1 percent in the same quarter of 2025.

The economy ministry said second-quarter growth was driven by stable domestic demand. Economy Minister Maxim Reshetnikov said the recovery in growth rates had continued despite what he called external pressure and constraints in some sectors.

The figures came as non-military sectors of Russia's economy face high borrowing costs, labour shortages and inflation. Russia's central bank recently trimmed its annual GDP forecast to flat to 1 percent, from an earlier forecast of 0.4 percent to 1.3 percent.

AFP reported that Ukrainian drone strikes have targeted Russian refineries since the spring and warehouses of online retailer Wildberries during the summer, adding pressure on parts of the economy.