Pro-war opposition activist arrested on terrorism charges PRO Members Public
Russian authorities arrested left-wing politician and opposition activist Sergey Udaltsov last week, with prosecutors accusing him of promoting terrorism. Udaltsov had made posts in support of other left-wing figures who are under investigation for creating a terrorist organization. Udaltsov’s arrest is the latest example of how Moscow’s judicial
Russia’s “lottery king” buying up Western assets PRO Members Public
The departure of Western firms from Russia has created a new cadre of Russian business elite, as previously little-known figures snap up lucrative assets at cut price assets. The Bell investigated the case of one such figure, Armen Sarkisyan, who has bought a string of Western companies over the last
Kremlin steps in as local heating systems collapse PRO Members Public
Even by Russian standards, it’s a particularly bleak midwinter, with unusually low temperatures sending the mercury below -30°C in places. Across many Russian regions, creaking utility networks have seen central heating systems fail, leaving tens of thousands of people without heating or hot water supply to their homes.
THE BELL WEEKLY: A winter heating crisis strikes Russia PRO Members Public
Hello! This week we cover a winter heating crisis and Russia’s dilapidated municipal infrastructure. We also summarize The Bell’s investigation into Russia’s “lottery king” snapping up cut-price Western assets and look at the arrest of a pro-war anti-Putin activist. Kremlin steps in as local heating systems collapse
Russia’s Lottery King Snapping Up Western Assets PRO Members Public
The departure of Western firms from Russia has created a once-in-a-generation opportunity for oligarchs and Kremlin associates to get rich. But the frenzy to acquire cut-price assets is not restricted to those at the top — previously little-known business figures have also seized the chance to enter the big leagues, forging
The West’s quandary over frozen Russian assets PRO Members Public
Hello! Happy New Year and welcome to your weekly guide to the Russian economy — written by Alexander Kolyandr and brought to you by The Bell. This time our top story is about intensifying discussions in Europe and the U.S. about frozen Russian assets – although their confiscation still looks unlikely.
Russia hooked on cheap thrills of war-fueled economy PRO Members Public
Hello! Welcome to your weekly guide to the Russian economy — brought to you by The Bell. This is Alexandra Prokopenko, and before we get into the analysis, I’d like to introduce you to Alexander Kolyandr, an economic analyst with years of experience at Credit Suisse, The Wall Street Journal
Authorities scramble to curb rising egg prices PRO Members Public
The price of eggs has risen sharply recently, prompting Russian authorities to intervene to bring the market back under control. Prices started climbing back in the fall and in December shops throughout the country were left with empty shelves amid panic buying and soaring demand. After simmering for weeks, the
Navalny disappears PRO Members Public
Alexei Navalny has not been seen in court hearings for almost two weeks, triggering growing fears for the fate of Russia’s most prominent opposition leader. Navalny is currently serving a decades-long jail sentence on fraud and extremism charges rejected by him, his supporters and independent rights groups who have
How a TV show about street gangs captured Russians and put officials on edge PRO Members Public
It’s rare to see a contemporary Russian film or TV drama make the leap to becoming a real cultural phenomenon, one featured in the wider media discourse or discussed on social networks every day. But right now an eight-part series about teenage street gangs in the late Soviet era
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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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