THE BELL WEEKLY: Ukraine’s counteroffensive and Russia's war economy Paid Members Public
Hello! This week, our main story is a raft of legislation predicated on a long-running war adopted by the Russian parliament. We also look at the Russia-Africa summit and explain what a ban on Dozhd says about the Kremlin’s tactics against independent media. Amid military escalation, Russia adopts laws
Inflation gains momentum Paid Members Public
Russia’s Central Bank expects prices to rise. But just a month ago, Putin was hailing the country’s low inflation rates compared to the rest of the world. At the start of the summer, Putin boasted of how inflation in Russia was approaching record lows and was even less
Putin allows the nationalization of Russia’s largest Western-owned consumer companies Paid Members Public
President Vladimir Putin signed a decree that transferred the shares of foreign shareholders to the “temporary control” of Rosimushchestvo, the agency responsible for state property. The decree affects the Baltika brewery, which is 100% owned by Denmark’s Carlsberg, and dairy firm Danone Rossiya, which is owned by France'
Coca-Cola quit Russia, but you can still find it on the country's shelves. How? Paid Members Public
Coca-Cola announced it was leaving the Russian market back in March 2022 as part of the global response to the invasion of Ukraine. Coca-Cola HBC, the Greek-owned company that bottled and sold Coke in Russia, switched to a new brand, Dobry Cola. Yet the U.S. soft drink giant remains
THE BELL WEEKLY: How Coca-Cola quit Russia, but stayed on the country's shelves Paid Members Public
Hello! This week, in our main story we explain how Coca-Cola remained the second most popular soda brand in Russia even after The Coca Cola Company has ceased operations in the country. We also look at the nationalization of the largest Western-owned consumer companies and witness the signs of inflation
Is Russia dying out? Our interview with a demographer Paid Members Public
Following the U.S.S.R.'s dissolution, Russia's population decline became an acute economic problem. Putin turned the "demographic solution" into his most important PR triumph. Yet the demographic crisis has resurfaced due to the pandemic and Ukraine's invasion. We spoke with
Russian vehicles seized in Germany Paid Members Public
A new challenge has arisen for Russians in Europe. Germany, a favored destination for Russians fleeing their home country, has started to arrest the vehicles of Russian immigrants. Although this measure is unlikely to have any direct impact those evading sanctions, it creates new hurdles for those who have the
Russian ruble plummets amid Prigozhin rebellion Paid Members Public
The Russian ruble has nose-dived in response to Yevgeny Prigozhin’s rebellion, accelerating its gradual depreciation since the end of last year. In the two weeks since June 24, the ruble fell 12% against the dollar and surpassed the symbolic 100 ruble per euro mark. The current exchange rates hark
