Following Vladimir Putin, Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko warned Armenia about the risks of rapprochement with the European Union, accused the country's leadership of "political gamesmanship" before the elections, and hinted at the influence of European politicians on the situation in the republic.
According to RIA Rating, rental affordability in most regions of the North Caucasus Federal District (NCFD) is significantly lower than the Russian average.
Chechnya ranks last, 85th, where only 13.5% of families can afford a two-bedroom apartment. Ingushetia (17.3%) and Dagestan (18.8%) are close behind. In Kabardino-Balkaria, North Ossetia, and Karachay-Cherkessia, this figure is slightly higher but still low (19.6%, 24.6%, and 26.4%, respectively). Stavropol Krai, with 35.4% of families able to afford rental housing, ranked 72nd.
Experts attribute the low rental affordability in the NCFD to a combination of moderate incomes and demand for housing driven by a higher birth rate.
The Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous Okrug topped the ranking, with 76.4% of households able to afford rental housing. The Khanty-Mansi Autonomous Okrug and Sakhalin Oblast also rounded out the top three.