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Could a global trade war destabilize Russia’s finances? 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 look at what the effect of a prolonged trade war and lower oil prices would be on the Russian economy. We also examine

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Inside the Russian Economy

Russian pro-war bloggers blame Ukrainian civilians after deadly missile strike Members Public

A Russian strike on the Ukrainian city of Kryvyi Rih on Friday killed 20 people, among them nine children. Images of the aftermath of the strike and details of the devastation triggered anger around the world, more than three years after Moscow's invasion. In Russia, pro-war military bloggers

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Politics

More trouble for Putin’s former aide Chubais Members Public

Russian law enforcement agencies have stepped up their targeting of Rusnano, a state company that invested in promising tech projects. For the first time, Anatoly Chubais, one of the architects of Moscow’s 1990s economic reforms and long-time Rusnano chief, is himself coming under direct threat. Until recently, Chubais – who

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Business

Propagandists revel in US tariffs, ignoring peril to Russian economy Members Public

Russian officials and propagandists rushed to portray the United States’ new tariffs as a blow against Europe – completely ignoring the potential consequences it could have on Russia’s domestic economy. The main message on state media has been that the tariffs have divided the EU, while U.S. President Donald

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Economy

THE BELL WEEKLY: Russia cheers Trump’s tariffs Members Public

Hello! Our top story is how Russian propagandists are rejoicing over Donald Trump’s tariffs, but ignoring how they could backfire on Moscow. We also cover new trouble for Anatoly Chubais and how pro-war bloggers are blaming Ukrainian civilians after a deadly Russian missile strike on Kryvyi Rih. Propagandists revel

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Russia, Explained

Russia no longer pushing Ukrainian link to Moscow concert hall massacre 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

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Politics

Russia jails dissident once targeted by Putin at KGB for 16 years 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

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Politics

VK posts huge loss, eyes massive cash injection 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

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Business

THE BELL WEEKLY: Billion-dollar loss for Russia's Facebook 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

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Russia, Explained

The EU looks at how to lift sanctions on Russian oligarchs 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

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Business
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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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