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Nearly one in three of Russia’s largest companies posted losses in the first half of 2025, the highest share since the Covid-19 pandemic, underscoring the toll of war and sanctions on the country’s economy, the pro-Kremlin newspaper Izvestia reported on Tuesday.

According to figures from the state statistics agency Rosstat, some 19,000 companies collectively lost more than 5 trillion rubles ($62 billion) between January and June. Meanwhile, 43,000 businesses posted combined profits of 18.4 trillion rubles ($228 billion) for that same period.

The data did not include small and medium-sized firms, financial institutions and state entities.

Izvestia said it was the first time since the pandemic lockdowns of 2020 that the share of unprofitable businesses topped 30%. Experts who spoke to the newspaper said that no more than 20% of firms typically operate at a loss in advanced industrialized economies.

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