Keynes in jackboots: can defense spending sustain Russian economic growth? Paid Members Public
Hello! This is Alexandra Prokopenko with your weekly guide to the Russian economy — brought to you by The Bell. I am joined this time by analyst Alexander Kolyandr to look at the structural transformation of the Russian economy amid the Ukraine war and what it has to do with economist
The trans community is the latest to fall victim to Russian state repression Paid Members Public
While much of the world is celebrating Pride month in support and solidarity with the LGBTQ+ community, Russia is preparing changes to legislation that would prohibit gender transition. Russian lawmakers explain these changes as protection of “traditional values” and “national interests.” But in reality, it means that the lives of
How Russia’s most mysterious retailer is building its business in the West Paid Members Public
For most Russian businesses, following the invasion of Ukraine, it’s better to forget about any plans to expand into Europe. However, one Russian company is continuing its efforts to conquer the European market despite the war. Svetofor, founded by Krasnoyarsk’s Schneider brothers, remains Russia’s most mysterious retailer.
Russia sends ‘nuclear’ signals to the West Paid Members Public
Nuclear threats have probably not been debated so widely in Russia all year as they are being debated now. Last week, there were several reasons why the country’s atomic arsenal was back in the news. Sergei Karaganov, an international affairs expert known in the West for his Kremlin ties,
THE BELL WEEKLY: Russia sends ‘nuclear’ signals to the West Paid Members Public
Hello! This week, our main story is a look into the expansion of a budget Russian supermarket chain in Europe despite the war in Ukraine. We also look at the return of nuclear threats to Putin’s rhetoric and Russian lawmakers’ latest efforts to pass draconian anti-LGBT legislation. Russia sends
Kremlin's misplaced economic optimism Paid Members Public
Hello! This is Alexandra Prokopenko with your weekly guide to the Russian economy — brought to you by The Bell. This week we focus on whether ordinary Russians believe the government’s claims that the economy is on the right track. We also look at Putin’s latest nuclear rhetoric and
Why is the Kremlin quiet about drone attacks on Moscow and raids in the border regions? Paid Members Public
In the first year or so since Russia invaded Ukraine, the war barely touched the home front. However, that has changed sharply since May: Ukrainian drones attacked Moscow and the surrounding region, while Ukrainian artillery fire forced the evacuation of Shebekino, a town of 40,000 people near the border.
The first week of Ukraine’s counteroffensive fails to deliver a clear outcome Paid Members Public
The first week of Ukraine’s long-awaited counteroffensive has not brought any tangible results, nor even any clear vision of how events might develop in the future. Russia’s Defense Ministry produces daily reports of how Ukrainian attacks are repelled and, more importantly, how much Western equipment was destroyed. However,
