Pro-war bloggers Paid Members Public
Hello! This week, we look at the Russian pro-war bloggers covering the invasion of Ukraine on the ground — and whose allegiance to the Kremlin’s narrative of the war varies widely. We also look at the growing divide between Putin’s economic proclamations and the real picture of Russia’s
The death of last Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev Paid Members Public
Mikhail Gorbachev died on Aug. 30 at the age of 91 in a Moscow hospital for top state officials. He was the third leading figure of the perestroika era to die this year. In May, the first post-Soviet presidents of Ukraine and Belarus Leonid Kravchuk and Stanislav Shukevich died within
Journalist Ivan Safronov jailed for 22 years on treason charges Paid Members Public
A Moscow court sentenced journalist Ivan Safronov to 22 years in prison Monday. The sentence means that Safronov, who was arrested in 2020, will remain behind bars until 2042. Previously a defense correspondent for Russian newspapers, Kommersant and Vedomosti, did not plead guilty to any of the charges and repeatedly
Gazprom shuts its main gas pipeline to Europe Paid Members Public
It finally happened. As anticipated by European leaders and analysts all summer, Russia shut down its Nord Stream gas pipeline to Europe indefinitely. The decision appears to be a response to the G7 countries’ agreement on capping prices for Russian oil and European Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen’s
Gazprom turns off the taps Paid Members Public
Hello! This week our top story is Gazprom’s decision to shut-down its main gas pipeline into Europe. We also look at the draconian 22-year prison sentence handed down to a Russian journalist and the passing of the last Soviet leader, Mikhail Gorbachev; as controversial in death as in life.
Economic resilience Paid Members Public
Hello! This week we focus on the state of the Russian economy — data from the first half of the year suggests it is coping with sanctions and international isolation much better than anticipated. The decline in GDP has not, so far, come close to pessimistic predictions of up to 10%
Measuring Russians’ Views of the War Paid Members Public
Hello! This week, we look at how a closed, state-run poll reveals more than meets the eye about the Russian public’s attitudes towards the war in Ukraine. We also look at why Putin’s gas war with Europe has only just begun and why Russian lawmakers are eyeing a
Import substitution delusion Paid Members Public
Hello! This week we look at Russia’s plans to reduce its dependency on Western-made goods amid the war in Ukraine and international sanctions. But history suggests that significant success will be very difficult to achieve. New Deputy PM and Putin’s Daughter to Kickstart ‘Import Substitution’ Rumors were flying
