Updated

Russian businesses closing outnumbered new registrations nearly two to one between January and September 2026, with 208,500 closures against 109,000 new companies. Ukrainska Pravda reported the figures, citing The Moscow Times, which said wholesale and retail trade saw 68,500 closures and 31,600 new firms, while construction saw 29,000 closures and 14,300 new firms. Resource extraction was the only sector where openings exceeded closures, with 786 new companies against 776 closures, which the current summary describes as net growth. The Moscow Times said average monthly new registrations this year were about 30% lower than last year and linked the closures to rising costs of doing business. With limited demand and competition, entrepreneurs cannot fully pass extra costs on to customers, eroding profits and financial reserves, according to the outlet. Ukrainska Pravda added that Sberbank analysts estimated in August that closures driven by entrepreneurs' own decisions had risen from roughly 5,000 to 12,000-15,000 a month, and that the figures came amid deteriorating economic conditions.