
Russian authorities forced to save money on video surveillance Paid Members Public
As a result of the government’s budget deficit, the Russian authorities are keen to save money on anything they can that isn’t connected to the war effort or defense industry. This includes the creation of a national system of surveillance cameras, new plans show. Initially, Russia wanted to

The cost of a decade of confrontation Paid Members Public
Bonjour ! Bienvenue dans votre guide hebdomadaire de l'économie russe, présenté par The Bell. Cette semaine, nous tentons de dresser un bilan approximatif de ce qu'une décennie d'agression contre l'Ukraine a coûté à la Russie et à son économie. Nous nous penchons également sur l'attitude de l'Occident à l'égard de la Russie.

Seven years in jail for supermarket sticker protestor Paid Members Public
One of Russia’s longest and most controversial political trials since the start of the war reached its inevitable conclusion in a court in St. Petersburg last week. Artist Sasha Skochilenko, 33, was sentenced to seven years in a penal colony for spreading “false information” about Russia’s armed forces.

Troll farms and sanctions: Russian opposition gripped by libertarian activist’s questionable reporting Paid Members Public
Over the past week, two big talking points have emerged around the Russian opposition — both triggered by political activist Mikhail Svetov, founder of the Russian Libertarian Party, which has found a niche among young Russians on Twitter. First, Svetov’s SVTV News reported on how leading Russian economists helped to

EU mulls Russia diamonds ban, tightening oil cap rules Paid Members Public
Hello! Welcome to your weekly guide to the Russian economy — brought to you by The Bell. Our top story is a deep-dive into the EU’s nineteenth packet of sanctions against Russia, which looks set to include a ban on Russian diamonds and new rules on Russian oil sales. We

Kremlin says criminals are “atoning with blood” on the battlefield in Ukraine Paid Members Public
With every passing week, more attention is being paid to the thousands of criminals, including brutal murderers, receiving pardons after being released from prison to serve with the Wagner private militia and other paramilitaries fighting in Ukraine. The problems stemming from the policy were inevitable. Unlike draftees, pardoned criminals are