The Bell

Russia’s new richest person Members Public

Hello! This week our top story is about Russia’s new richest person, Suleiman Kerimov, whose 2009 gold mining investment has paid off spectacularly during the pandemic. We also look at Russia’s withdrawal from a tax treaty with Cyprus that will mean major changes for business, and we have

The Bell

What links Russia to Germany’s Wirecard scandal? Members Public

One of the main figures in the collapse of German payment firm Wirecard, chief operating officer Jan Marsalek, is reportedly hiding somewhere near Moscow. The Bell looked at Wirecard’s connections with Russia, and why Marsalek visited the country over 60 times in a decade. * It’s perhaps no coincidence

The Bell

Russian mercenaries arrested in Belarus Members Public

The already stormy Belarusian presidential election campaign became even more dramatic Wednesday with the arrest of 32 alleged Russian mercenaries. The Belarusian authorities identified the men as employees of the notorious mercenary outfit Wagner, and it led to a diplomatic row between Minsk and Moscow. Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko is

The Bell

Mercenaries in Minsk Members Public

Hello! This week our top story is the detention of 32 Russian mercenaries in Belarus ahead of the country’s closely-fought presidential elections. We also have data from The Bell’s investigation into sexual harassment in the workplace, and a breakdown of Russia’s role in the activities of Wirecard,

The Bell

Moscow sends new governor to protest-hit Khabarovsk Members Public

Street demonstrations in the Far East city of Khabarovsk over the arrest of local governor Sergei Furgal show no sign of fading away. Moscow this week poured fuel on the fire when it appointed Mikhail Degtyarev, 39, as Furgal’s replacement. Like Furgal, Degtyarev is a member of the right

The Bell

Russia set to copy Mexico’s oil price insurance policy Members Public

During heated negotiations this spring between major oil producers, Mexico held out longest against a coordinated output cut. The reason? The country’s two-decade strategy of oil price hedging means it is largely immune to the effects of an oil price collapse. State-owned oil giant Rosneft has now recommended to

The Bell

Why the U.K. ‘Russia report’ went unnoticed in Russia Members Public

This was a week of Russia stories in the West. The U.K. parliament published Tuesday a report on Russian interference, then, the following day, the U.S. House of Representatives introduced a draft bill for new Russian sanctions. The latter raised few eyebrows: there was no new rationale, or

The Bell

Russia report skepticism Members Public

Hello! This week we spotlight the Russia report published by the U.K. parliament, and share some thoughts on sources and expertise. We also examine the possibility of the Kremlin greenlighting a Mexico-style financial hedge to protect against oil price falls, and the appointment of a new governor to a

The Bell

The Bell's Newsletter

An inside look at the Russian economy and politics. Exclusively in your inbox every week.