Russia opts for nationalization of foreign firms PRO Members Public
More than 14 months after launching the invasion of Ukraine, the Kremlin has begun to nationalize the assets of foreign companies. A presidential decree published Tuesday bestowing the new powers said they were in response to the nationalization of Russian assets abroad. The first targets were Finland’s Fortum and
State nuclear agency turns to China to build Russian electric vehicles PRO Members Public
Despite being cut off from Western technology, the Kremlin has not given up on creating a Russian electric car. Newspaper Kommersant last week uncovered some of the details. The key to Russia’s project now, according to Kommersant, is Rosatom, the state nuclear agency, which is using Chinese technology to
Russia looks to ensure social media influencers pay tax PRO Members Public
The Russian authorities appear to be continuing in their quest for ways to maximize tax revenue amid Western sanctions and rising military expenditure. Now, even the country’s social media stars are in their sights. Police last week carried out a very public arrest of Yelena Blinovskaya, a self-styled “personal
THE BELL WEEKLY: Squeezing influencers PRO Members Public
Hello! This week our top story is about the high-profile arrest of top social media influencer Yelena Blinovskaya and whether Russia is looking for innovative ways to boost tax revenue. We also look at how Russia is trying to revive its problem-hit electric car program and the Kremlin’s decision
Another scandal hits Russia’s opposition PRO Members Public
Despite the ongoing war in Ukraine influential figures in Russia's opposition continue to squabble among themselves. The latest public spat was between jailed politician Alexei Navalny and former oil magnate Mikhail Khodorkovsky. The fight broke out after Khodorkovsky hired a man blamed for persecuting one of Navalny’s
Did the son of Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov fight in Ukraine? PRO Members Public
The children of Russia’s elite are allegedly joining the ranks of ordinary citizens to fight in Ukraine. The most notable example is Nikolai Choles, the son of the Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov. Last week, Choles gave an interview to the tabloid Komsomolskaya Pravda, where he said he was fighting
TV ads and social networks urge Russian men to enlist PRO Members Public
The Russian authorities have launched a new recruitment campaign for contract soldiers in recent weeks. According to media sources, the Defense Ministry wants to call up 400,000 fighting men. It’s an ambitious plan. Before the war, Russia’s entire army totaled 400,000 troops. The new recruitment drive
THE BELL WEEKLY: Army recruitment drive PRO Members Public
Hello! This week our top story is about an enormous military recruitment drive in Russia seeking to attract hundreds of thousands of soldiers. We also look at reports that the children of the Russian elite are fighting on the frontlines in Ukraine and another spat between different factions of Russia’
THE BELL WEEKLY: Digital gulag PRO Members Public
Hello! This week we focus on Russia’s new law tightening military draft procedures that establishes a new database that many believe amounts to a “digital gulag.” Russia takes a major step toward full militarization, online control Beneath a veil of secrecy, lawmakers last week rammed legislation through the State
Security officer who fled Russia tells of Putin’s growing isolation PRO Members Public
Dossier, an investigative center linked to former Russian oil tycoon Mikhail Khodorkovsky, last week published an interview with a captain in the Federal Guards Service (FSO) who fled abroad in protest at the war. Gleb Karakulov served for 13 years in the FSO, which is responsible for the president’s
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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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