Politics
Russia legalizes the Taliban PRO Members Public
The Taliban, banned as a “terrorist organization” in Russia for more than 20 years, has been legalized and had the label expunged by Russia’s Supreme Court, in another sign of warming ties between Russia and the Islamist group. The development is not surprising. Over recent years, the Russian authorities
More than five years in jail for being a journalist PRO Members Public
Journalism continues to be a dangerous profession in Russia. Last week, a Moscow court sentenced four journalists to five and a half years in prison on charges of collaborating with the Anti-Corruption Foundation (FBK), an organisation founded by Alexei Navalny and outlawed as “extremist” in Russia. * The journalists — Antonina Favorskaya,
Russian pro-war bloggers blame Ukrainian civilians after deadly missile strike PRO Members Public
A Russian strike on the Ukrainian city of Kryvyi Rih on Friday killed 20 people, among them nine children. Images of the aftermath of the strike and details of the devastation triggered anger around the world, more than three years after Moscow's invasion. In Russia, pro-war military bloggers
Are Russia’s war emigrants heading home? PRO Members Public
After Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, hundreds of thousands of Russians left the country. Most of them were highly-skilled personnel who could work remotely or find jobs abroad. The Russian authorities are sticking to their story that most of those who were “scared off” at the start have since returned.
Russia no longer pushing Ukrainian link to Moscow concert hall massacre PRO Members Public
Russian authorities appear to have quietly lost interest in pushing the idea that Ukraine was somehow connected to the worst terrorist attack in Russia of the last two decades. On the first anniversary of the Crocus City Hall massacre, officials barely mentioned the alleged Ukrainian link — something which they never
Russia jails dissident once targeted by Putin at KGB for 16 years PRO Members Public
A court in St. Petersburg has sentenced Alexander Skobov, a 66-year-old Soviet dissident and activist, to 16 years in jail on charges of justifying terrorism and joining a terrorist group. Skovov was first arrested more than four decades ago and Vladimir Putin was among the KGB officers who worked on
The end of Radio Liberty: What does it mean for Russia? PRO Members Public
President Donald Trump’s decision to liquidate the U.S. Agency for Global Media and stop funding Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty has had a particularly strong impact on Russian society – not least because of the important role RFE/RL played throughout Soviet/Russian history. If RFE/RL ceases its
Renowned opposition rapper accused in grooming-and-assault scandal PRO Members Public
Russia’s #MeToo movement resurfaced last week, after journalist Nastya Krasilnikov released an investigation into popular rapper Oxxxymiron, in which he was accused of grooming underage girls and sexually assaulting them once they had turned 16. For more than a decade, the performer has been not only a prominent figure
Moscow revels in Oval Office row between Zelensky and Trump PRO Members Public
Russia can’t get enough of last week’s unprecedented row between Donald Trump and Volodymyr Zelensky in front of the world’s media in the Oval Office. The growing rift between the United States, Ukraine and Europe gives the Kremlin hope that it can strike a deal normalizing relations
Moscow celebrates after Putin’s conversation with Trump PRO Members Public
With officials preparing for Tuesday’s talks with the US in Saudi Arabia, Russian authorities and state media at home can hardly contain their delight over last week’s phone call between Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin. It is unclear how the talks will go, or whether the Putin-Trump relationship
We are working for you
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.
Read about us
