Putin offers Europe a new gas deal PRO Members Public
Despite the sabotage of the Nord Stream pipelines and Europe’s determination to wean itself off Russian fossil fuels, Putin is still counting on a “new gas world.” Last week, he set out his plan: apparently, the European Union should either just launch the remaining Nord Stream 2, or switch
Kremlin-backed VK fails to buy Russia’s most wanted internet company PRO Members Public
Despite support from the Kremlin, internet giant VK was unable to purchase Russia’s biggest ad service, Avito. The service’s South African owner, internet group Naspers, flatly refused to sell to such a toxic buyer. As a result, a rival bidder acquired Avito – Russian businessman Ivan Tavrin, who is
Can the Russian Armed Forces destroy Ukraine’s electricity infrastructure? PRO Members Public
After the explosion on the bridge linking Russia and annexed-Crimea and the appointment of General Sergei Surovikin as commander of the Russian forces in Ukraine, Russia’s Armed Forces last week resumed large-scale missile strikes on Ukraine. The main aim was to destroy the country’s energy infrastructure. However, over
Russia’s missile arsenal PRO Members Public
Hello! This week our top story is the rain of rockets and drones Russia has been using to strike Ukrainian electricity infrastructure and what the Kremlin is trying to achieve. We also look at how the Kremlin did not get its way when it came to the buyer of top
Russia spends billions on defense, yet conscripts often have no food PRO Members Public
Dozens of videos have surfaced in recent weeks of Russian conscripts living in squalid conditions, being issued with old equipment and being encouraged to buy their own body armor and medical supplies. * For example, the relatives of one young man from the industrial city of Chelyabinsk who was called up
Russian Nobel Peace Prize Win for Second Consecutive Year PRO Members Public
The Nobel committee announced Friday the winner of its annual Peace Prize. This year, the honor was shared by three human rights activists: Belarusian activist Ales Belyatsky (currently in pre-trial detention), Ukraine’s Center for Civil Liberties and Russia’s Memorial. * Memorial is Russia’s oldest NGO. It researches political
Aliexpress Russia shareholders refuse to finance company PRO Members Public
Before the war, Aliexpress Russia — the biggest Russo-Chinese joint enterprise — was poised to become the “Russian Amazon.” But it appears that the conflict has persuaded China’s Alibaba that its international reputation is worth more than the Russian market. As The Bell reported, the Chinese company has decided to curtail
Military escalation in Ukraine war PRO Members Public
The start of October has seen a significant escalation in the war in Ukraine, with an attack on the Crimean bridge, connecting the annexed Crimea with mainland Russia, and a wave of missile strikes on Ukrainian cities not seen since the beginning of the invasion. The 19 kilometer-long Crimea Bridge
Escalation in Ukraine PRO Members Public
Hello! This week our top story is Russia’s retaliatory missile strikes on Ukrainian cities after an attack on the Crimean Bridge. We also look at how one of the biggest Russo-Chinese joint enterprises, Aliexpress Russia, is on the verge of collapse, Russia’s second Nobel Peace Prize in two
The Blame Game PRO Members Public
Not even Russia’s state-run television channels could overlook Moscow’s second major military defeat, however, and the search for scapegoats led to unprecedented public criticism of the Russian military by the leaders of paramilitary groups fighting in Ukraine. Following the Defense Ministry’s announcement of Lyman’s fall, Chechen
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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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