Russia, Explained
Pyotr Mironenko, co-founder of The Bell, and Denis Kasyanchuk, our economics editor, take a closer look at the week's top Russia stories, and explain why they matter. An in-depth look at how Russia works, what is bothering the elite, how public opinion is changing, and how to read between the lines of state propaganda.
Why is Russia legalizing online casinos? PRO Members Public
Hello! This week we look at why Moscow is planning to legalize online gambling. Hint: there’s money to be made — both for the national budget and friends of the Kremlin. Winner-winner: Finance ministry and Putin’s cronies stand to gain from legalization of online casinos With Russia facing a
Russia revels in Ukraine energy crisis it caused PRO Members Public
Hello! This week we analyze how Russian propaganda channels and pro-war bloggers are celebrating the fact that massive Russian strikes on Ukraine’s energy grid have left millions without heating, power and water in sub-zero temperatures — and why it reveals, yet again, that Moscow’s invasion is not going to
Russia’s wartime parliamentary elections PRO Members Public
Hello! This week we dig into the Kremlin’s campaign to get ex-soldiers elected to parliament later this year — a move that isn’t exactly popular across society. How Russia will exploit the war during this year’s parliamentary elections The Kremlin has officially launched the campaign for the 2026
Russia silent on Venezuela PRO Members Public
Hello and Happy New Year! In our first newsletter of 2026, we look at why Russia is trying to bury its head in the sand over Venezuela. First Assad, now Maduro. Russian allies falling by the wayside. The New Year has brought new headaches for Russia’s foreign policy. In
The most hated woman in Russia PRO Members Public
Hello! Our focus this week is on a legal scandal that has gripped the headlines for weeks — and what it tells us about celebrity culture in Russia today. Controversial court ruling triggers uproar against pro-Putin singer Russia is ending the year with a massive domestic scandal surrounding singer Larisa Dolina,
Russia approaching end-game of digital repression PRO Members Public
Hello! This week we look at how Russia’s assault on foreign internet platforms is reaching its final stage, with new threats against WhatsApp, the blocking of FaceTime and Snapchat, and increasingly sophisticated tools to stamp out VPNs. Before we start, The Bell is pleased to announce our upcoming webinar
Russia’s Banks vs. Oligarch-Backed E-Commerce Giants PRO Members Public
Hello! This week we get under the hood of Russia’s biggest business clash of the moment as the country’s financial giants try to take on the booming online marketplaces. Finance fights back against online retailers A clash of the lobbying titans is underway in Russian big business. The
Trump’s Ukraine plan: Peace on the horizon? PRO Members Public
Hello! This week we, like everybody else, have our attention fixed on just one question: Could Donald Trump’s controversial peace plan lead to an end of the war? Does Trump’s Russia-friendly peace plan stand a chance? Once again, Donald Trump has done a 180-degree turn on Ukraine, proposing
Russia wages war with borrowed cash PRO Members Public
Hello! This week we dive into how Russia finances its war on Ukraine, and why it could be storing up problems for the future. How much is Russia borrowing for its war, and what will the consequences be? Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has forced Moscow to abandon its conservative
Russians voice frustration over EU visa tightening PRO Members Public
Hello! This week we cover Europe ending the issuance of multi-entry visas for Russians, a step that will likely do little to stop nefarious actors and Russian spies infiltrating the bloc. EU ends multi-entry visas to stop Russian espionage, but spies likely to keep flowing In the fourth year of
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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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