Russian billionaire Oleg Deripaska has urged citizens to adopt a 12-hour, six-day work week to accelerate the country’s economic transformation, The Moscow Times reported on March 30, 2026.
Writing on his social media channels, the industrialist argued that Russia’s resources are limited and that the only way to deal with the global crisis is through a massive increase in the workforce. Deripaska proposed a strict “8-to-8” schedule – which works from 8 AM to 8 PM, including Saturdays – saying that this change is necessary for the survival of the country’s economy.
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“We don’t have many tools. To be more precise, only one, and it is related to our national characteristic: in difficult times, we know how to gather ourselves and work harder,” Deripaska wrote. He emphasized that the faster the country switches to this new program, the faster it will go through the ongoing transformation.
Deripaska expressed the current situation not as a common economic problem, but as a “deep change” that has changed the world for all countries. He criticized Russia’s Central Bank and its macroeconomic policies, blaming high interest rates and the “useless strengthening of the ruble” for stifling investors, according to The Moscow Times.
In addition, he noted that the level of domestic investment, both domestic and foreign, has been weakened by the dismantling of the security forces.
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- Business
Mar 17, 2026 12:44
The millionaire also spoke about the impact of ongoing conflicts in the Middle East, especially the war involving Iran. Despite rising global oil, gas and fertilizer prices, Deripaska warned that the war “will not bring Russia anything good.”
The Moscow Times wrote that he had predicted that high energy prices would cause a long-term recession in the world economy, which would affect the Russian economy. In order to combat this fear, he has demanded that the ruble be reduced to 105 per dollar and that the key interest rate be reduced to 6 percent.
According to Deripaska’s estimates, the combination of high interest rates and a strong ruble has already cost the budget more than 16 billion rubles ($196.6 billion). He argued that the strengthening of the ruble below 80 per dollar in recent years has deprived foreign industries of their competitiveness.
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Mar 26, 2026 14:53
By calling for a longer work week and a major change in monetary policy, Deripaska shows that Russia’s private sector is under extreme pressure to isolate itself and the secondary effects of regional wars.
The economic problems described by Deripaska are being exacerbated by the disruption of Russia’s most important currency: its oil assets. While the billionaire is calling for internal personnel changes, external pressures are mounting as airstrikes in Ukraine succeed in crippling Russia’s main areas of power.
The latest campaign targeting Baltic Sea ports has forced Russian producers to warn consumers of an export freeze, potentially freezing up to 40 percent of exports. This loss of export power, combined with the “deep change” Deripaska warns, creates a perfect storm for the Russian budget.
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