Persidskaia A. V.

Introduction. The transformation of Russia's economic inequality in the context of geopolitical challenges and the integration of new regions actualizes the tasks of analyzing the reproductive imbalances of territorial development. The spatial development of the national economy is characterized by a stable asymmetry in the indicators of gross regional product and the actual final consumption of households, which requires a rethink of approaches to regional policy. The integration of the Donetsk and Lugansk People's Republics, Zaporizhia and Kherson regions into the socio-economic space of the Russian Federation takes place in conditions of deep interregional differentiation that has formed at all stages of the reproductive cycle. New regions are characterized by deformed parameters of demographic and economic processes, which necessitates the development of special mechanisms for their spatial development. An analysis of the territorial proportions of the Russian economy shows that the traditional policy of income redistribution, with certain positive results in smoothing social inequality, does not provide qualitative structural shifts in the spatial development of regions. The integration of new territories into the system of inter-regional economic relations requires the formation of a stable production base capable of generating primary incomes and stimulating domestic demand.Purpose. To identify the features of the spatial development of the Russian economy through the analysis of the reproductive parameters of the regions and substantiate the directions of regional policy in the context of the integration of new territories. The key hypothesis is that ensuring sustainable spatial development requires modification of reproduction proportions based on the formation of the production base and the growth of primary incomes of the population, which is especially important for new regions at the initial stage of integration processes.Materials and methods. The data of the Federal State Statistics Service of the Russian Federation, presented in information and analytical materials and statistical publications, were mainly used as a statistical and analytical base for the preparation of the study. To reliably record trends in economic differentiation, an array of data has been used since 2000; due to the publication of annual estimates of the gross regional product with a lag of 1.5 years (actually more), calculations are limited to 2023. The use of an array of information transmitted by subjects of federal statistical accounting, administrative data ensures the objectivity and stability of the assessment, the ability to compare the results (subject to the invariance of methods) for different periods / points in time. The methodological basis of the research is a systematic approach, methods of statistical analysis (typological groupings, analysis of series of dynamics, tabular presentation of data).Results. The study identified key trends and factors of regional socio-economic differentiation in the Russian Federation. The task of positive economic alignment remains important, but requires the adaptation of assessment methods (including indicators and their target parameters), mechanisms and tools. The results of the study contribute to the expansion of ideas about the spatial structure of the Russian economy in the context of the implementation of new actors (Azov Sea macro-region).Conclusions. The stable nature of the majority of the imbalances in the territorial development of the Russian Federation, expressed in the asymmetric parameters of the reproduction process, determines the search for means and tools to achieve real progress. The traditional alignment of the levels of regional socio-economic development through the policy of redistribution is not the dominant state regulation at the present stage.