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Russia Is Spiraling Toward a $150 Billion Default Nightmare

What happens with bond payments due Wednesday could kickstart Russia's first foreign-currency default since the 1917 revolution

Russian Police officers run to detain a man holding a poster that reads “No to war,” during a protest outside the Kremlin on March 13.

Russian Police officers run to detain a man holding a poster that reads “No to war,” during a protest outside the Kremlin on March 13.

Photographer: Getty Images

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Russia’s economy is fraying, its currency has collapsed, and its debt is junk. Next up is a potential default that could cost investors billions and shut the country out of most funding markets.