Russia no longer pushing Ukrainian link to Moscow concert hall massacre PRO Members Public
Russian authorities appear to have quietly lost interest in pushing the idea that Ukraine was somehow connected to the worst terrorist attack in Russia of the last two decades. On the first anniversary of the Crocus City Hall massacre, officials barely mentioned the alleged Ukrainian link — something which they never
Russia jails dissident once targeted by Putin at KGB for 16 years PRO Members Public
A court in St. Petersburg has sentenced Alexander Skobov, a 66-year-old Soviet dissident and activist, to 16 years in jail on charges of justifying terrorism and joining a terrorist group. Skovov was first arrested more than four decades ago and Vladimir Putin was among the KGB officers who worked on
VK posts huge loss, eyes massive cash injection PRO Members Public
Tech giant VK, which operates the country’s largest social media site and is often dubbed “Russia’s Facebook”, posted a staggering set of results for 2024: a billion-dollar loss and overall outstanding debt of more than $2 billion. Now the firm, which the Kremlin is backing heavily to create
THE BELL WEEKLY: Billion-dollar loss for Russia's Facebook PRO Members Public
Hello! Our main story this week is how the state is going to bail out VK after a staggering loss and mounting debt pile. We also cover the jailing of a Soviet-era dissident, once targeted by Vladimir Putin at the KGB, and highlight how the authorities are no longer trying
The EU looks at how to lift sanctions on Russian oligarchs PRO Members Public
The EU’s Supreme Court last week discussed for the first time what Russian oligarchs need to do to have sanctions against them lifted. Namely, they will need to visibly part with any of their Russian businesses, not simply transfer them to other companies within the country. * The Court of
Moscow celebrates after Putin’s conversation with Trump PRO Members Public
With officials preparing for Tuesday’s talks with the US in Saudi Arabia, Russian authorities and state media at home can hardly contain their delight over last week’s phone call between Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin. It is unclear how the talks will go, or whether the Putin-Trump relationship
THE BELL WEEKLY: Moscow cheers Putin-Trump call PRO Members Public
Hello! This week our top story is Moscow celebrating Vladimir Putin’s return to the top table of international politics after his call with Donald Trump. We also cover the EU clarifying its rules for how oligarchs can get sanctions removed. Moscow celebrates after Putin’s conversation with Trump With
Moscow to demolish two Soviet architecture gems PRO Members Public
Moscow has decided to demolish two famous landmarks of the Soviet period: the former building of the Council for Mutual Economic Assistance (COMECON) and the Great Moscow State Circus. Moscow's civic authorities have the right to pull down any building which, in their opinion, does not fit with
Opposition infighting: Navalny allies hit back at Katz PRO Members Public
Alexei Navalny’s The Anti-Corruption Foundation (FBK) — run by the late opposition leader’s allies in exile — last week accused the wife of Maxim Katz, a popular opposition blogger, of earning hundreds of thousands of dollars from working with companies close to the Russian authorities. The investigation has prompted another
Russia’s white collar workers face job cuts despite chronic labour shortages PRO Members Public
Russia’s economy is expected to cool this year after months of overheating, with the pace of growth set to more than halve. The slowdown will happen against the backdrop of chronic labour shortages — but despite record demand for workers in many sectors, experts still predict job losses. Who is
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