Secondary sanctions & Russia’s falling imports Paid Members Public
Hello! Welcome to your weekly guide to the Russian economy — written by Denis Kasyanchuk and brought to you by The Bell. This week our top story is an analysis of how U.S. secondary sanctions introduced last year have contributed to a significant fall in Russian imports. We also look
Medvedev threatens reprisals against Yandex bosses over GPT chatbot Paid Members Public
Former president Dmitry Medvedev, the most prominent hawk among senior Russian officials, criticized Yandex’s efforts to create an artificial neural network. Medvedev was unhappy with the efforts of the company, sometimes dubbed “Russia’s Google”, because its AI chatbot refused to answer questions about Ukraine. * Medvedev, now deputy chair
Pro-military bloggers clash with Chechen authorities over abuse case Paid Members Public
A young woman who fled her relatives in Chechnya after facing abuse has garnered unexpected support from Russian Z-bloggers. Facing the possibility of being forcibly sent back to the conservative Muslim region and likely harsh repercussions, pro-military voices came out in her support, criticizing the Caucasus republic as “medieval.” It
Propagandists cheer Putin’s “boring” visit to China Paid Members Public
Vladimir Putin and a heavyweight team of advisors, ministers and business leaders visited China last week in the president’s first overseas trip since his latest inauguration. The packed delegation was yet again unable to secure an agreement on the elusive Power of Siberia 2 gas pipeline — a project Russia
THE BELL WEEKLY: Putin’s ‘boring’ China visit Paid Members Public
Hello! This week we look at how Russian media put an upbeat spin on Putin’s underwhelming visit to China. We also look at a clash between pro-military bloggers and Chechen authorities over a domestic violence case and Dmitry Medvedev threatening Yandex over its AI chatbot. Propagandists cheer Putin’s
In a war of attrition, you want an economist as defense minister Paid Members Public
Bonjour ! Bienvenue dans votre guide hebdomadaire de l'économie russe, rédigé par Alexander Kolyandr et Alexandra Prokopenko et présenté par The Bell. Cette semaine, notre article principal porte sur la nomination de l'économiste Andrei Belousov au poste de ministre de la défense, et sur ce que cela signifie pour l'effort de guerre de la Russie. Nous
THE BELL WEEKLY: Shoigu removed, Belousov to become defense minister Paid Members Public
Hello! This week we look at the surprise removal of Sergei Shoigu as Russia’s defense minister and dig into his replacement, Andrei Belousov, and what his priorities will be, What to expect from Belousov as the new defense minister Russian President Vladimir Putin sprang a Sunday night surprise with
Resurrecting Soviet five-year plans Paid Members Public
Hello! Welcome to your weekly guide to the Russian economy — written by Alexander Kolyandr and Alexandra Prokopenko and brought to you by The Bell. This week our top story is about the “May decree” that Putin signed following his inauguration this week, and how it resembles Soviet-era practices. We also
