Russia began the year in serious economic decline and is expected to enter its second recession in six years in 2015. The decline has gained momentum in recent days with news that certain economic indicators are even worse than expected. The World Bank on Jan. 12 forecast a reduction in GDP growth for 2015 from -0.7 percent to -2.9 percent. The same day, Fitch Ratings downgraded 13 Russian firms, including LUKoil, Gazprom and Russian Railways, some of the country's largest. Moreover, the Russian currency has remained volatile in recent weeks, despite the Kremlin's cash injections of more than $80 billion thus far. On Jan. 14, Russia's Central Bank published a poll it had taken in December revealing that 48 percent of Russian citizens have been affected by the ruble's depreciation, and the Russian people's trust in the currency has fallen to a record low of 62 percent.