By 2006, in spite of lack a of significant reforms, the Russian banking system had recovered from the 1998 crisis, and its indicators such as capital, assets, and loans greatly exceeded the levels prior to 1998. The Russian economy had expanded rapidly, largely as a result of higher energy prices. However, many analysts were concerned about the large role played by oil and gas, and feared that energy exports were keeping the value of the ruble so high that non-energy manufacturing was being hurt. V. Bank had survived the 1998 crisis, and was considered one of the top 25 banks. In spite of this progress, its financial reports emphasized a series of concerns. Furthermore, Russia's political situation seemed precarious, as illustrated in the Khodorkovsky crisis, as a result of which Gazprom and the Yukos assets returned to majority state ownership. Some analysts pointed to a revival of authoritarian and arbitrary state intervention, and debated the possibility of a liberal political reaction in Russia similar to the "Orange Revolution" in the Ukraine.
