Russia on Fire as Victory Day Approaches PRO Members Public
Hello! This week we analyze the spate of successful Ukrainian drone attacks across Russia — and how it is leaving a dark cloud over Moscow’s plans for Victory Day celebrations on May 9, one of the most important days of the year for Vladimir Putin. Little to celebrate on Victory
Russia’s oligarchs: more money, more problems PRO 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 we analyze how Russia’s billionaires got richer during the war, but why they find themselves more vulnerable to the whims of the state
Central Bank cuts rates again PRO Members Public
Russia’s Central Bank has cut its base rate for the eighth time running — this time by a cautious 0.5 percentage points to 14.5%. This was in line with consensus expectations, although some economists anticipated a more decisive cut amid high oil prices and falling inflation. * In its
Putin weighs into internet restrictions debate PRO Members Public
Hello! This week we unpack the biggest issue in Russian politics right now — the power struggle over the future of online restrictions amid bubbling elite and public discontent. Kremlin on PR manoeuvres as internet backlash bites The imposition of restrictions on the internet has triggered so much discontent among Russia’
War losses drive Russia’s record low unemployment PRO 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 we detail our research showing how Russia’s celebrated low unemployment rate is a direct consequence of the huge numbers of men being killed
Runet gets a new boss: The Bell exclusive PRO Members Public
The Bell has managed to find out who is behind the latest wave of repression against the Russian internet — from restricting calls on messaging apps to blocking Telegram and waging war on VPNs. These crackdowns have already caused businesses to lose millions, as we previously wrote about, and have also
Russia’s most glamorous dissident PRO Members Public
Hello! Russia has been awash over the last week since a model and influencer issued an appeal to Vladimir Putin, becoming the surprise face of creeping anger with how the country is being run. Blogger urges Putin to like, share and subscribe Influencer and model Viktoria Bonya has unexpectedly emerged
Putin wants to boost Russia’s flagging economy. But how? PRO 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. After President Putin ordered officials to get the Russian economy moving again, we ask how they can deliver and will it be enough to address the
Russia boosts spending in expectation of oil windfall PRO Members Public
The government is gambling on future oil profits rather than waiting for them to actually materialize, the latest budget statistics published by the finance ministry indicate. * Russia’s budget deficit from January to March was 4.58 trillion rubles ($60 billion, or 1.9% of GDP). That’s almost twice
Russia in the cold in the new Moon race PRO Members Public
Hello! After the success of NASA’s Artemis II lunar flyby mission, The Bell looks at how the Soviet Union lost the Cold War space race, and why Moscow is barely even a player in the modern race to the moon. NASA’s moon success an embarrassing reminder of Russia’
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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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