President Vladimir Putin on Friday urged officials not to let Russia fall into recession "under any circumstances", as some in his own government warned of a hit to economic growth. "Some specialists and experts are pointing to the risks of stagnation and even a recession,

Economy Minister Maxim Reshetnikov said earlier during the St. Petersburg Economic Forum that the economy is “on the verge of going into a recession.”

By Vladimir Soldatkin and Guy Faulconbridge ST PETERSBURG, Russia (Reuters) -Russia's economy must under no circumstances slide into recession, President Vladimir Putin told an economic forum on Friday,