Internet outages and airport disruption threaten Putin’s deal with Russia’s middle classes 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

Pyotr Mironenko Pyotr Mironenko
Politics

Sacked transport minister dies by suicide 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

Pyotr Mironenko Pyotr Mironenko
Russia, Explained

Is Russia heading for a banking crisis? 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

Alexandra Prokopenko Alexandra Prokopenko Alexander Kolyandr Alexander Kolyandr
Inside the Russian Economy

How Russian banks adapted to sanctions 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

Denis Kasyanchuk Denis Kasyanchuk
Russia, Explained

Corporate Russia no longer fears sanctions Members Public

Alexandra Prokopenko Alexandra Prokopenko Alexander Kolyandr Alexander Kolyandr
Newsletter

Domodedovo and SPIEF: a masterclass in ignoring reality 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

Pyotr Mironenko Pyotr Mironenko
Russia, Explained

Why isn’t Russia backing Iran? 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

Alexander Kolyandr Alexander Kolyandr Alexandra Prokopenko Alexandra Prokopenko
Inside the Russian Economy

Iran-Israel war plays into Kremlin hands 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

Denis Kasyanchuk Denis Kasyanchuk
Russia, Explained

Russia’s ballooning budget deficit 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.

Alexandra Prokopenko Alexandra Prokopenko Alexander Kolyandr Alexander Kolyandr
Newsletter

Russia prepares for a war on WhatsApp 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

Pyotr Mironenko Pyotr Mironenko
Russia, Explained
Buy our subscription Buy our subscription Buy our subscription

We are working for you

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.

Read about us Sidebar Image

RUSSIA IN GRAPHS

Understand the Russian economy and politics with a monthly infographic plus a selection of articles to add to your reading list, compiled by The Bell’s editors team.