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.
The great Russian asset redistribution PRO Members Public
Hello! As the war hits the four-year mark, we look at how Russian officials have used the conflict to snatch up billions of dollars worth of assets for the state and friends of the Kremlin. State’s snapping up of assets leaves no business safe The war in Ukraine has
Russia nukes its main messenger PRO Members Public
Hello! This week we cover how Russians are responding to the state throttling Telegram, the country’s most important messenger and social media app. How collapsible is Putin's Russia? The Bell on In Moscow's Shadows podcast with Mark Galeotti Four years into the war with Ukraine,
Russia’s Shadow Fleet comes in from the dark PRO Members Public
Hello! This week we ask why is Russia increasingly bringing its fleet of sanctions-busting tankers in from the shadows, and is it an effective strategy to help ship its oil around the world. Russian flags for the shadow fleet Shadow fleet tankers have been rushing to re-register themselves under Russian
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
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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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