Elvira Nabiullina, who once reportedly threatened to quit as head of Russia’s central bank over Vladimir Putin’s decision to invade Ukraine, has not been seen in public for almost three weeks.
Ms Nabiullina is widely credited with keeping the Russian economy afloat despite the financial pressures of the Ukraine war, which Mr Putin has poured vast resources into pursuing. She had received multiple international awards prior to the 2022 invasion, but is now the subject of Western sanctions.
