MOSCOW: Russia’s state statistics agency said on Wednesday it expected economic growth to stand at 3.5 percent in the first quarter of this year.

The figures released by Rosstat were the first estimate of Russian economic growth since President Vladimir Putin sent troops to Ukraine in late February and the West slapped several rounds of unprecedented sanctions on the country.

The growth is expected to be driven by passenger transport and the extraction of mineral resources, according to Rosstat.

By comparison, Russia’s economy expanded by five percent in the fourth quarter of 2021.