
‘Silent’ tech layoffs despite massive labour shortages Paid Members Public
As the year comes to an end, Russian companies are laying off IT staff. Back in 2022, the government and employers were bending over backwards to keep them in the country, offering exemption from military service, preferential mortgages and pay rises. But two-decade-high interest rates are taking a toll: despite

Russian “foreign agents” to lose property and asset income Paid Members Public
Russia’s authorities continue to crack down on opposition figures and journalists they have designated “foreign agents.” In the latest set of measures, they will be barred from earning income on their Russian assets, with proposed bans on collecting money from the sale or rental of property, through dividends or

Tough choices for Russia’s Central Bank 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 our top story is about the Central Bank’s upcoming decision on whether to raise interest rates and risk the ire of government and

Ruble stabilizes after latest sanctions slump Paid Members Public
The ruble has recovered from a sudden devaluation last month, which was largely tied to liquidity problems in the wake of US sanctions against dozens of Russian banks — chiefly Gazprombank. The value of the currency against both the dollar and the yuan, on various measures, had reached its worst level

PR man appointed Kursk governor Paid Members Public
Russia’s Kursk Region, partially occupied by Ukrainian forces, has got its second new governor in under a year. The Russian army has failed to recapture the region since Ukrainian troops stormed across the border in August, and it faces a social catastrophe which has forced residents into rare public

How did the Kremlin squander Syria Paid Members Public
After more than 20 years in power, Syrian president Bashir Assad saw his regime collapse in the space of two dramatic weeks. Russia, mired in its own war in Ukraine, did not come to the rescue, largely leaving him to face the country’s opposition forces alone. Nine years ago