The Bell

Russia mulls fiscal belt-tightening 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, our top story is a look at a suggestion by Finance Minister Anton Siluanov that there could be a change to fiscal rules that

The Bell
Inside the Russian Economy

Russia legalizes the Taliban Members Public

The Taliban, banned as a “terrorist organization” in Russia for more than 20 years, has been legalized and had the label expunged by Russia’s Supreme Court, in another sign of warming ties between Russia and the Islamist group. The development is not surprising. Over recent years, the Russian authorities

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Politics

More than five years in jail for being a journalist Members Public

Journalism continues to be a dangerous profession in Russia. Last week, a Moscow court sentenced four journalists to five and a half years in prison on charges of collaborating with the Anti-Corruption Foundation (FBK), an organisation founded by Alexei Navalny and outlawed as “extremist” in Russia. * The journalists — Antonina Favorskaya,

The Bell
Politics

Soaring ruble set to come back down to earth Members Public

To the surprise of many, the first four months of 2025 have turned out to be one of the best periods for the Russian currency in recent years. The ruble, which ended 2024 with its worst performance since 2022, has suddenly started to strengthen, boosted by a host of factors.

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Economy

Kirill Dmitriev: Economic envoy, or political peace-maker? Members Public

Hello! This week we bring you a detailed look at Kirill Dmitriev — the Kremlin’s special envoy on economic talks with the United States who has been Moscow’s most high-profile negotiator with Donald Trump’s White House over restoring ties and ending the war in Ukraine. Before we begin,

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Russia, Explained

Trump’s tariffs mean long-term pain for Moscow 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 how Trump’s tariffs will affect Russia (even though Russia didn’t appear on the tariff list), and the consequences of

The Bell
Inside the Russian Economy

Are Russia’s war emigrants heading home? Members Public

After Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, hundreds of thousands of Russians left the country. Most of them were highly-skilled personnel who could work remotely or find jobs abroad. The Russian authorities are sticking to their story that most of those who were “scared off” at the start have since returned.

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Politics

Russians’ wellbeing levels surge in face of war, sanctions and repression Members Public

Despite being hit with unprecedented Western sanctions, the war with Ukraine has been accompanied by a noticeable increase in the well-being of Russians. A new study has revealed the extent of the domestic feel-good factor, with economists at the Bank of Finland Institute for Emerging Economics (BOFIT) finding the level

The Bell
Economy

THE BELL WEEKLY: Russians' happiness hits decade-high Members Public

Hello! This week we look at why Russians are happier than at any point in the last decade, and delve into a new study suggesting those who fled after the invasion are not rushing back to Russia, despite claims by the Kremlin and even Western media outlets. Russians’ wellbeing levels

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Russia, Explained

Russia’s odd ceasefire demands 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 in detail at Moscow’s strange demands to sign up to a U.S.-brokered ceasefire in the Black Sea. We also

The Bell
Inside the Russian Economy
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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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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.