Has Putin pushed Russia’s economy too far? | The Economist (Level 1)

Russia is fighting a very large war in Ukraine. It is a war of choice for President Putin. The cost has been very high. More than 300,000 Russian soldiers have died. This is many more deaths than in past wars. Putin does not force everyone to fight. Instead, he pays men to join the army. These men usually come from poor towns far away from huge cities like Moscow. They become soldiers to get money, not because they want to save their country. The government pays them large bonuses to sign up. This plan is very expensive for Russia. The economy is starting to suffer. One expert compares Russia’s economy to a mountain climber. The climber is too high up and is running out of air. Russia is spending money faster than it can make it. The country is using up its future wealth to pay for the war today.