The presented study examines methods for analyzing and managing sustainable economic development of Russian regions and possible criteria for assessing and improving sustainability.Aim. The study aims to provide a theoretical and empirical justification for the use of regional competitive attractiveness assessment to manage economic development and improve its sustainability.Tasks. Based on the measurement and analysis of economic competitive attractiveness indicators and their mathematical treatment, the authors assess the sustainability of development of Russian regions in 2013–2017 and the causes of deviations from progressive growth.Methods. This study proposes a mathematical tool for measuring the sustainability of Russian regions by assessing their competitive attractiveness and develops a typology of sustainability in the mathematical space of two variables.Results. Methods for analyzing and managing the sustainability of economic development of Russian regions under the influence of political and economic challenges and risks are proposed. The level and dynamics of regional competitive attractiveness are taken as a criterion of sustainability of economic development. The authors provide methods and indicators for assessing economic competitive attractiveness and criteria for measuring the sustainability of development, which allow them to draw conclusions about the reaction of different regions to the challenges and risks of development in 2013–2017. The study proposes a management scheme for sustainable regional development with a focus on the comprehensive improvement of regional economic competitive attractiveness and potential ways to improve it, including training of municipal and regional managers in crisis management associated with economic and political challenges and risks.Conclusions. Based on the proposed criterion of economic development sustainability and assessment of the competitive attractiveness of regions and their rankings, it is shown that in 2013–2017 45 out of 83 regions were developing sustainably; by 2017, 19 regions out of the 32 that suffered losses in the competitive attractiveness level and rankings in 2015–2016 have managed to restore the sustainability of economic development and their rankings. This study proves that regions with a high level of economic competitive attractiveness show increased sustainability of development.
