Continuing war and continuing nationalizations Paid Members Public
Hello! Welcome to your weekly guide to the Russian economy — written by Alexander Kolyandr and Alexandra Prokopenko and brought to you by The Bell. This week we look at two meetings attended by Putin and what signals he gave about an end to the fighting in Ukraine, and Russia’s
Does Russia really face a wave of bankruptcies Paid Members Public
Amid the central bank’s aggressive interest rate hikes last year – taking the key rate to a two-decade high of 21% – the industrial lobby, joined by sympathetic economists, has been increasingly warning of a wave of bankruptcies as over-exposed industries struggle to service their debts. We took a look at
The end of Radio Liberty: What does it mean for Russia? Paid Members Public
President Donald Trump’s decision to liquidate the U.S. Agency for Global Media and stop funding Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty has had a particularly strong impact on Russian society – not least because of the important role RFE/RL played throughout Soviet/Russian history. If RFE/RL ceases its
Ahead of Trump call, Putin lets Western funds sell frozen Russian assets for the first time Paid Members Public
On the eve of a phone call with Donald Trump, Vladimir Putin unveiled his latest overture to the United States. For the first time in three years of war, he signed an order on Monday allowing major US investment funds to sell their holdings of frozen Russian securities. The move
THE BELL WEEKLY: Sabotage claims fuel nationalization drive Paid Members Public
Hello! This week our main story is Vladimir Putin letting some Western investors sell their frozen Russian assets ahead of his high-stakes call with Donald Trump. We also look at what Russians stand to lose if Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty ceases to exist and take stock of mounting worries
No, Russia isn’t about to run out of money Paid Members Public
Hello! Welcome to your weekly guide to the Russian economy — written by Alexandra Prokopenko and Alexander Kolyandr and brought to you by The Bell. This week we look at whether Russia’s National Wealth Fund is in danger of running dry, and what it would mean if it did. We
Russia’s economy risk freezing over Paid Members Public
Russian economic activity is showing a slowdown not only in manufacturing, but also in the service sector — early signs of an impending hit to growth after 2024’s robust expansion of 4.1%. * The monthly PMI index — a closely watched indicator of business activity — recorded a slowdown in both the
Renowned opposition rapper accused in grooming-and-assault scandal Paid Members Public
Russia’s #MeToo movement resurfaced last week, after journalist Nastya Krasilnikov released an investigation into popular rapper Oxxxymiron, in which he was accused of grooming underage girls and sexually assaulting them once they had turned 16. For more than a decade, the performer has been not only a prominent figure
Russian security forces come up with new ideological grounds for seizing assets Paid Members Public
Russia’s nationalization wave — which accelerated following the invasion of Ukraine — continues apace. Canned food magnate Leonid Smirnov is the latest to have fallen out of favor, but what makes this case different are allegations of military sabotage. * Leonid Smirnov was born in the USSR but emigrated to the USA
THE BELL WEEKLY: Sabotage claims fuel nationalization drive Paid Members Public
Hello! This week our main story is about how claims of military sabotage are fuelling the latest high-profile business nationalization. We also cover a sexual assault scandal involving popular rapper Oxxxymiron, and signs the Russian economy could be slowing down too fast. Russian security forces come up with new ideological
