In reporting these figures today, Aleksey Golyakov of “Novyye izvestiya” points out that this figure is based on the minimum income that the government estimates is needed maintaining a decent standard of living and the actual incomes of Russians
This shift is widely recognized by Russians: a VTsIOM poll found that two-thirds of them say that “over the last five years, the number of poor in the country has risen,” with over 40 percent saying this is incompatible with Russia's constitutional claim to be a social state.
Commenting on the results, Yevgeny Gontmakher, the deputy director of IMEMO, says that the Putin regime has behaved in such a way that it has been making the situation worse. At a time of crisis, most governments spend more on social needs in order to protect “the most valuable thing of all - human capital.”
But the current Russian regime has cut spending on health, education, and other social needs in order to boost spending on the force structures and the bureaucracy. Unless that changes, the share of Russians under the poverty line will continue to rise - and the share of Russians who see this as a problem will continue to increase.
http://windowoneurasia2.blogspot.se/2015/12/two-million-more-russians-fall-into.html
Without a doubt, Putin’s cooking up some complex scheme for Russia to replace the US as the world top superpower, with Obama’s willing and eager cooperation. Despite Obama and Kerry’s public (smoke ‘n mirrors) moaning and groaning, Putin is marching right along with his expansionist agenda. Of course Obama has already given KGB/FSB Putin everything he’s wanted on missile defense and nukes, meanwhile slashing our own military.