--- title: "Dismissal of VEB.RF Chief Economist: The Price of Truth About Losing the War of Attrition" description: "🇷🇺 Russia has dismissed VEB.RF Chief Economist Andrey Klepach following his May report, in which he predicted a defeat in the war of attrition. The dismissal was initiated by Igor Shuvalov \"on a call from above.\" This is part of a general trend of suppressing critical voices in 2025–2026. #VEB #Klepach #Russia #Dismissal" date: 2026-08-16T21:22:01.000Z lang: en url: https://xab.info/en/posts/dismissal-of-veb-rf-chief-economist-andrey-klepach-en tags: [russia, veb-rf, andrey-klepach, economy, war-on-exhaustion, ignoring-experts, political-purges] publisher: "XAB.info" --- # Dismissal of VEB.RF Chief Economist: The Price of Truth About Losing the War of Attrition ![Chief economist of VEB.RF at press conference before dismissal — symbol of the price of truth about losing the war of attrition](https://xab.info/media/2026/08/17/uvolnenie-glavnogo-ekonomista-veb-rf-andreya-klepacha/uvolnenie-glavnogo-ekonomista-veb-rf-andreya-klepacha-1.webp) ## 🎯 Key Points - Andrey Klepach was dismissed from the post of Chief Economist of VEB.RF on August 16, 2026. - The reason for dismissal was his May speech, in which he predicted Russia's defeat in the war of attrition. - The decision was made by the head of VEB.RF, Igor Shuvalov, on instructions from above. - Klepach worked at VEB.RF for 12 years and previously held high posts at the Ministry of Economic Development. - The dismissal fits into the general trend of suppressing critical voices in Russia. On Sunday, August 16, 2026, a major personnel decision occurred at the Russian state development corporation VEB.RF: Andrey Klepach was dismissed from his position as Chief Economist. This event became resonant not so much due to the personnel change itself, but because of the reasons that triggered the dismissal. As it turned out, the resignation was a consequence of public statements made by the expert back in May of the current year, which were perceived by the leadership as inconsistent with the current agenda. ### Reason for Resignation: Report at the Nikitsky Club According to the Russian publication The Bell, cited by RBC-Ukraine, the dismissal of Klepach was initiated personally by the head of VEB.RF, Igor Shuvalov. According to sources, the decision was made "on a call from above" and is directly linked to the economist's speech in May 2026 at an event of the Nikitsky Club of the Moscow Exchange. In his report, Klepach criticized Russia's economic resilience in the context of a protracted conflict with the West. The expert stated that, despite the economy's ability to survive, Russia is losing the technological and economic competition not only to the US and China but also to Ukraine. Klepach directly pointed out the illusory nature of expectations of a rapid collapse of the Western system and predicted Russia's defeat in a war of attrition. His words that "we will not win the competition" and that "everything will not collapse there" became a trigger for administrative pressure. ### Andrey Klepach's Career: 12 Years as Chief Economist Andrey Klepach is one of the key figures in Russian economic analysis. He held the position of Chief Economist at VEB.RF for 12 years. Before moving to the state corporation, he had significant experience working at the Ministry of Economic Development, where from 2004 he headed the department of macroeconomic forecasting. Between 2008 and 2014, Klepach held the post of Deputy Minister. After moving to VEB, he also performed the duties of Deputy Chairman of the Board, but in 2019 he left the Board, retaining his status as Chief Economist. ### Contradictory Data There is a certain discrepancy in the details concerning the immediate moment of dismissal and Klepach's status at that time. On the one hand, sources confirm that the dismissal took place specifically on August 16, 2026. On the other hand, some reports mention that Klepach had not been a member of the Board since 2019, which may indicate that his influence was limited, yet his status as Chief Economist was maintained. This creates a contradiction: if he was not on the Board, why did his dismissal require a "call from above" and become a resonant event? Perhaps his role as Chief Economist was more significant than formal membership in the Board. ### Context: A Series of Dismissals in 2025–2026 Klepach's dismissal is not an isolated event. In September 2025, it became known about the resignation of Colonel General Alexander Lapin, who headed the "Central" military grouping. Lapin was dismissed from the army after a series of failures on the front, including setbacks near Kyiv and the subsequent transfer of troops to the east. This indicates a general trend towards a strict personnel purge in Russia's military and economic structures, where public admissions of failure or disagreement with the official line are followed by severe punishment. ### Significance for the Economic Agenda The dismissal of Klepach signals that control over public statements by experts, especially in the fields of economics and security, is tightening in Russia. In the context of a protracted conflict and growing economic difficulties, the authorities are trying to suppress any voices that could undermine confidence in the country's ability to withstand pressure. This also indicates that even within state structures such as VEB.RF, independent analysis and forecasting are becoming dangerous for one's career. ## 🔍 Fact-Check Verification - [Russia dismisses economist who predicted defeat in war of attrition](https://korrespondent.net/world/russia/4903420-v-rf-uvolyly-ekonomysta-prohnozyrovavsheho-porazhenye-v-voine-na-ystoschenye) - Источник подтверждает увольнение Клепача и указывает на связь с его майским выступлением. ## ❓ FAQ ### Q: Why was Andrey Klepach fired? **A:** Andrey Klepach was fired for his May speech, in which he predicted Russia's defeat in the war of attrition and pointed out the country's economic and technological problems. ### Q: Who initiated the dismissal? **A:** The dismissal was initiated by the head of VEB.RF, Igor Shuvalov, who made the decision "on a call from above." ### Q: How many years did Klepach work at VEB.RF? **A:** Andrey Klepach worked as Chief Economist of VEB.RF for 12 years. ### Q: Have there been similar dismissals in Russia before? **A:** Yes, in September 2025, Colonel General Alexander Lapin was dismissed for failures on the front, indicating a general trend towards personnel purges.