Oleg Deripaska called for Russians to work 12-hour days, six days a week. The founder of Rusal, a major aluminum producer, made the appeal in a Telegram post urging accelerated economic transformation.

"This crisis is deeper. It is caused by a difficult transformation: from the global opportunities we once had to regional ones, with all sorts of restrictions," Deripaska wrote in the post.

"In difficult moments, we know how to pull ourselves together and work more," Deripaska wrote.

"The sooner we switch to this new schedule — from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m., including Saturdays — the faster we will complete this transformation," he wrote.

The industrialist's call comes as Russia's economic growth has slowed. According to official estimates, Russia's economy grew 1% in 2025, down from 4.3% in 2024.

Earlier this month, Deripaska warned that the conflict in the Middle East could weigh on global and Russian growth despite higher oil prices.

Russia's federal budget has been under pressure from sanctions in recent years. Oil and gas revenues have historically accounted for more than a third of the federal budget, making the country vulnerable to energy market shifts.

A limited U.S. sanctions waiver on some Russian shipments has reshaped trade flows. There have been disruptions to tanker traffic through the Strait of Hormuz, a critical global oil chokepoint.

Benchmark crude oil futures are over 70% higher this year and trading above $100 per barrel. Russia is a major energy exporter and has benefited from a surge in oil prices due to escalating tensions in the Middle East and disruptions to key supply routes.