Jet crash prompts speculation over Russia’s import substitution drive Paid Members Public
Last Friday, a Russian Sukhoi Superjet (SSJ) 100 passenger aircraft crashed near Moscow, killing all three crew members on board. The plane was flying to Moscow’s Vnukovo airport after having undergone repair work. First developed in the 2000s, the model never took off with airlines either abroad or at
Russia cancels national ID cards for anti-war exiles Paid Members Public
It seems that the Russian authorities have found a new way of pressuring opposition activists who left the country: annulling their internal passports — effectively a national ID card. So far a few cases have emerged and it is not clear whether this will be a widespread measure. But the potential
Russia puts the brakes on YouTube, WhatsApp Paid Members Public
After abandoning plans to block popular Western internet services, the Russian authorities have now moved to trying to slow them down. This week it emerged that YouTube was being throttled — a platform where millions of Russians watch reports and interviews from independent journalists undermining the Kremlin’s case for its
THE BELL WEEKLY: The Kremlin versus YouTube Paid Members Public
Hello! This week we cover Russian authorities slowing down traffic to YouTube and WhatsApp. We also look at the latest targeting of anti-war exiles and why a plane crash has shone a light on Russia’s import substitution drive. Russia puts the brakes on YouTube, WhatsApp After abandoning plans to
Russia ends subsidized mortgages, leaving a housing bubble and inequality behind Paid Members Public
On July 1, Russia halted its preferential mortgage program after awarding loans to millions of people at interest rates of up to 8% — half the Central Bank’s current base rate. The program was first introduced to support the real estate market during the Covid pandemic, but ultimately proved hugely
Award-winning director and playwright sentenced to six years Paid Members Public
A Russian military court on Monday put a grim end to one of the most high-profile political cases of the last year. Director Yevgenia Berkovich and playwright Svetlana Petriychuk were sentenced to six years in prison on charges of “justifying terrorism.” The case is designed to become a demonstrative example
Online voting, electronic manipulation Paid Members Public
Russia’s electoral system is moving closer to the Kremlin’s idea of perfection. For the first time in history, an upcoming poll for elections to the Moscow City Duma will be fully online. Electronic voting makes it much easier for the authorities to manipulate the results and has the
THE BELL WEEKLY: Kremlin goes all-in on online elections Paid Members Public
Hello. This week we look at how the Kremlin is embracing online voting — and how it further streamlines the manipulation of elections. We also look at how a state-backed mortgage program fuelled inequality and a housing bubble, and a landmark sentence designed to scare Russia’s intelligentsia. Online voting, electronic
