The Russian economy (catch all)

[OUTLAW 09]

Now "official Russia" is starting to panic on the current economic collapse of the Rubel and oil prices.

From Interfax this evening:

10/14 19:34 POTENTIAL RUSSIAN RATING DOWNGRADE WOULD MAKE REFINANCING TERMS FOR COMPANIES WORSE, HAVE NEGATIVE IMPACT FOR ECONOMY - ULYUKAYEV

10/14 19:34 RUSSIAN RATING DOWNGRADE WOULD INDICATE EITHER INCOMPETENCE OR POLITICAL BIAS - ULYUKAYEV

10/14 19:32 ULYUKAYEV: DISCUSSIONS AND RUMORS CIRCULATE OVER POSSIBLE DOWNGRADE IN RUSSIA'S SOVEREIGN RATING

BUT then this from Interfax this evening--concerning oil impacting them at the 80-90 price ranges--notice they think the 60 range is the worst case scenario although some Me oil analysts are saying that is even possible right now if it break through the 80 range and the KSA has signaled they can live with the 60 range.

Gref: oil at $80-$90 per barrel 'not fatal'

MOSCOW. Oct 14 (Interfax) - Sberbank of Russia (MOEX: SBER) President and CEO German Gref believes oil priced in the range $80-$90 per barrel is "not fatal."

"It depends on how low it drops. If it is in the range $80-$90 [per barrel], it would be difficult, but not fatal. Nothing terrible. Industry experts, including those I respect most, are not forecasting a drop below $80," Gref told journalists on Tuesday.

The chance that oil prices will drop below $80 per barrel is small. "The probability it goes to $80 is higher. We must wait and see. All of those scenarios are in the realm of possible fluctuations," Gref said.

Central Bank Chairman Elvira Nabiullina said in the State Duma the day before that the Central Bank conducted economic stress testing assuming oil priced at $60 per barrel, but that the probability the most negative scenario would come to pass was exceedingly small.