Internet outages and airport disruption threaten Putin’s deal with Russia’s middle classes PRO Members Public
While Russians living in Moscow and other cities away from the border have suffered nothing like the kind of deadly attacks Ukrainians in Kyiv have been put through — with Vladimir Putin deploying hundreds of drones and missiles in escalating nightly barrages — the cost of the war is starting to become
Sacked transport minister dies by suicide PRO Members Public
Hello! Our top story is the shock suicide of Russia’s transport minister, whose body was discovered hours after he was fired amid looming corruption charges. We also look at how a string of internet outages and major disruption at airports could spell trouble for the Kremlin’s support among
Is Russia heading for a banking crisis? PRO 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 analyze why some believe Russia is on the verge of a banking crisis – and whether this could ever come to pass. We also
How Russian banks adapted to sanctions PRO Members Public
Hello! This week we detail our investigation into how Russian banks are skirting sanctions to transfer money to the EU — the latest in a string of restriction-busting innovations rolled out by the sector amid the Ukraine invasion. The Central Asian fix: Sending rubles to Europe Sanctions against Russia over its
Corporate Russia no longer fears sanctions PRO Members Public
Domodedovo and SPIEF: a masterclass in ignoring reality PRO Members Public
Hello! This week we look at how the nationalization of Moscow’s Domodedovo airport came about and why it was a non-issue at Russia’s premier business and investment forum in Saint Petersburg. SPIEF shrugs off Domodedovo nationalization The St. Petersburg International Economic Forum has long ceased to be a
Why isn’t Russia backing Iran? PRO 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 our top story is about Russia’s decision to remain on the sidelines in the Iran-Israel war. We also look at the first official
Iran-Israel war plays into Kremlin hands PRO Members Public
Hello! This week we cover how Moscow could benefit from the conflict between Iran and Israel. We also unpack an investigation into Telegram and the FSB, examining what mobile data Russia’s security services can and cannot access. Moscow stands to benefit from all-out war between Israel and Iran Although
Russia’s ballooning budget deficit PRO 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. Our top story is on data revealing the current state of Russia’s finances, including a steadily growing budget deficit. We also assess the upcoming St.
Russia prepares for a war on WhatsApp PRO Members Public
Hello! This week we look at Russia’s plans to create a domestic messenger platform – and why that spells trouble for the almost 100 million Russian WhatsApp users. Putin backs creation of ‘national messenger’ Russian authorities are moving towards blocking the last major foreign online service that had been – until
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The Bell was founded in 2017 by journalists Elizaveta Osetinskaya, Irina Malkova and Peter Mironenko as a news outlet independent from the Russian authorities, after its founders have been sacked as top editors at the largest Russian news website RBC because of pressure from the Kremlin.
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