GDP keeps falling PRO Members Public
Russia’s economy contracted by 1.5% year-on-year in February, the second successive month when annualized GDP was in the red. In January, GDP was down 2.1%. Economic Development Ministry figures show over the first two months of the year, the economy is 1.8% smaller than it was
Internet crackdown shows Russian system crumbling from within 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. This week we analyze what Russia’s escalating campaign against a free internet reveals about the system of power, and why signs of stability on the
Record levels of pessimism among small businesses PRO Members Public
Russia’s entrepreneurs are more pessimistic than at any point in the last five years, according to a joint survey by the FOM polling group and the Higher School of Economics. The quarterly study, which has been running for five years, found 52% of individual entrepreneurs and small-business owners believe
Putin asks businesses to pay for war PRO Members Public
Hello! Welcome to your weekly guide to the Russian economy, written by Alexander Kolyandr, Irina Malkova and Alexandra Prokopenko and brought to you by The Bell. This week we analyze Putin’s call for top business to pay extra for the war in Ukraine even as the Kremlin is cashing
Rate cut number seven PRO Members Public
Russia’s central bank on Friday cut its key rate by 50 basis points to 15%. “The economy is approaching a balanced growth trajectory. In February, price rises slowed as expected after a temporary surge in January. The Bank of Russia estimates that price inflation will continue at a stable
Mideast food crisis another opportunity for Russia 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 cover one underreported aspect of how Russia could benefit from the war in the Middle East: a looming global food crisis and surging
Moscow’s not calling PRO Members Public
Moscow is facing a communications collapse: mobile internet in the capital has been limping through serious outages all week, and whole districts in the city center are without connection. The authorities deny any involvement, but operators say that networks are being restricted on orders from above. Moscow has never experienced
Russia pushes spending cuts despite oil boom 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. Even as hundreds of millions of unexpected dollars flow into Moscow’s coffers thanks to surging oil prices, Moscow is still pressing ahead with spending cuts.
How Russia wins from war in the Middle East 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. Despite facing the possible loss of a geopolitical ally, Russia stands to win big from the Iran war on both the economic and political fronts. Oil,
Russia prepares Telegram endgame PRO Members Public
Russia’s authorities have shifted from slowing Telegram to shutting it down completely. At the same time they have launched a criminal case against founder Pavel Durov on allegations of aiding terrorism. Two sources on the telecoms market told The Bell that Russia’s authorities are preparing to shut down
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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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