Sobchak interview with serial rapist causes fury PRO Members Public
TV presenter and ex-presidential candidate Ksenia Sobchak sparked debate this week after her video interview with kidnapper and serial rapist Viktor Mokhov. In 2000, Mokhov seized two under-age girls and imprisoned them in a specially-built cellar, where he kept them for four years, raping them repeatedly. For his crimes, Mokhov
Navalny reports health problems as new protest announced PRO Members Public
Opposition leader Alexei Navalny — who has just begun a two-and-a-half year jail sentence — is already suffering from health problems. Not only is Navalny experiencing severe back pain, the cause of which is unclear, but his lawyers claim prison doctors are refusing him treatment. At the same time, Navalny’s colleagues
FSB accused of stealing pharma business after arrest of billionaire PRO Members Public
Hello! This week our top story is a lurid tale of corruption involving two high-profile arrests, the pharmaceutical industry and the security services. We also look at how opposition leader Alexei Navalny’s health has deteriorated in prison, and the fallout from ex-presidential candidate Ksenia Sobchak’s controversial YouTube interview
Russia tightens state control over education PRO Members Public
The lower house of the Russian parliament this week approved a new law on educational activities, rejecting criticism from scientists, business people and cultural figures. From now on, any activity classified as ‘educational’ must be coordinated with the authorities. The law comes into force July 1. * The legislation was submitted
Why Biden’s ‘killer’ soundbite won’t affect US-Russia relations PRO Members Public
When President Joe Biden gave an affirmative answer to a question from a journalist this week about whether Russian President Vladimir Putin was a murderer, he guaranteed himself plenty of airtime in Russia. The ruble and the markets jolted downward, while Putin used the story to galvanize anti-American sentiment. Nevertheless,
Russian electric vehicle start-up greenlighted for $5.4bln listing PRO Members Public
Perhaps the biggest Russian business event in the U.S. this year took place Friday when electric vehicle manufacturer Arrival got the go-ahead for a merger that will allow the company to list in New York with a valuation of $5.4 billion. That’s a lot for a company
From Russia with electric vans PRO Members Public
Hello! This week our top story is an in-depth look at electric vehicle manufacturer Arrival that just received the regulatory go-ahead for a $5.4 billion listing in the United States. We also explain why the war of words between Putin and Biden won’t lead to any significant changes
Trialing internet isolation PRO Members Public
Hello! This week our top story is on how Russia is using a Twitter slowdown as a way to trial the viability of its new ‘sovereign internet’ law. We also look at why Russia picked the progressive Manizha as its entry for Eurovision, and Putin’s increasingly Soviet economic approach.
Statue wars PRO Members Public
Hello! This week our top story is the aborted attempt to return a statue of a notorious Soviet spy chief to downtown Moscow. We also look at the discount store chain heading for a record IPO, and have highlights from the first article in our new series on how Russian
Clubhouse frenzy PRO Members Public
Hello! This week our top story is a look at social media app Clubhouse and why it has seen such an extraordinary surge of interest among Russians. We also have the details on another Navalny trial, this time over alleged slander of a war veteran, and the first Russian ever
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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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