Russian Central Bank Governor Nabiullina Absent from SPIEF Amid Conflicting Explanations
Russian Central Bank Governor Elvira Nabiullina did not attend the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF), with her name removed from the participant list shortly before her scheduled panels. Official sources cited sick leave, while a source close to a state corporation suggested she was attending the funeral of her adviser Alexei Mozhin, who died the day before. Her absence drew attention given her prominence at Russia's flagship economic event and the significance of the financial discussions held without her.
Elvira Nabiullina, governor of the Russian Central Bank, was absent from SPIEF 2025, where she had been scheduled to speak on panels covering cyber fraud and economic growth. A Central Bank spokesperson confirmed she was on sick leave but did not clarify whether this referred to personal illness or attendance at a funeral. A source cited by the business newspaper Vedomosti indicated Nabiullina skipped the forum to attend the funeral of her long-time adviser Alexei Mozhin, who died at age 69 on the forum's opening day. State Duma lawmaker Andrei Makarov, who moderated one of her panels, described her absence as due to 'objective reasons' without elaborating. In her absence, senior Russian financial officials at the forum declared that Russia had achieved full financial sovereignty and should permanently abandon expectations of Western sanctions relief. Nabiullina's current term as central bank chief runs until June 24, 2027, with President Putin required to submit a successor nomination to parliament by March 2027.
What's missing
It is unclear whether Mozhin's death was sudden or expected, which could bear on the plausibility of the sick leave explanation. Additionally, broader context on Nabiullina's relationship with the Kremlin and her policy positions heading into the succession period is absent from this report.
How coverage differed
Coverage comes primarily from a single source, The Moscow Times, which presents the story straightforwardly while noting the discrepancy between the official sick leave explanation and the funeral account from an unnamed source. The outlet's designation as 'undesirable' by Russian authorities may affect its access to official information, though the core facts appear consistent across cited Russian outlets RBC and Vedomosti.
What different sources said
- The Moscow TimesCenter
Russian Central Bank Chief Skips SPIEF After Calling In Sick
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