Russia: Organized Crime and the Construction Crunch

The president of the Russian Union of Developers, Vladimir Yakovlev, said July 28 that approximately 80 percent of construction projects in Russia are frozen because of the ongoing global economic crisis. A drastic drop in construction like this is sure to heavily affect organized crime in Russia — especially the Moscow mafia, which plays a vital role in Moscow's construction industry. However, Russian organized crime typically thrives during economic crises and likely will be able to compensate for the construction crunch by moving into position to supply more basic goods.