Are sanctions on Russia actually hurting its economy?

More than two years since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, Western countries have ramped up their attempts to stifle Russia’s economy using sanctions. These are economic penalties imposed by one country on another to stop them acting aggressively or breaking international law. There are now around 16,500 sanctions against Russia that target sectors from energy to finance to aviation. However, Russia’s economy has proven resilient. Vitaly Shevchenko, Russia editor at BBC Monitoring, explains the ways Moscow has managed to evade sanctions. He also assesses whether sanctions can work long-term. Plus, Dr Thomas Withington, an expert on electronic warfare, discusses how Russia uses ‘ghost ships’ to trade sanctioned goods without being caught.

Instagram: @bbcwhatintheworld WhatsApp: +44 0330 12 33 22 6 Email: whatintheworld@bbc.co.uk Presenter: Hannah Gelbart Producers: William Lee Adams and Baldeep Chahal Editor: Verity Wilde and Simon Peeks