
Security officer who fled Russia tells of Putin’s growing isolation PRO Members Public
Dossier, an investigative center linked to former Russian oil tycoon Mikhail Khodorkovsky, last week published an interview with a captain in the Federal Guards Service (FSO) who fled abroad in protest at the war. Gleb Karakulov served for 13 years in the FSO, which is responsible for the president’s

High-ranking Russian officials face travel ban PRO Members Public
Depuis le début de la guerre, les fonctionnaires russes et les employés des entreprises publiques ont du mal à voyager. La raison n'en est pas seulement les sanctions occidentales, même si elles en ont affecté plus d'un. En effet, les fonctionnaires et les employés des entreprises publiques russes ont été soumis à de nouvelles restrictions strictes en matière de déplacements. * Les changements récents signifient que

The ruble suffers its worst week of 2023 PRO Members Public
Just under a year ago, the Russian ruble was named the best performing currency in the world. As a result of currency controls introduced by the Russian authorities and a sharp drop in import volumes, it rose in value after the invasion of Ukraine to levels not seen since 2014.

THE BELL WEEKLY: Ruble woes PRO Members Public
Hello! This week our top story is about the falling Russian ruble, which last week saw its worst-performing week this year. We also look at why many Russian officials are now blocked from traveling abroad and the defection of a high-ranking security officer who was involved in protecting President Vladimir

Russia continues to toy with Stalinist practice of putting convicts to work PRO Members Public
The Federal Prison Service (FSIN) is revisiting a 2017 idea to send prisoners to work for defense conglomerate Rostec, which manages most of Russia’s military factories. Convicts are unlikely to be used in the assembling of missiles and aircraft, but could be given other, less skilled roles, sources told

Evan Gershovich’s arrest is a warning to the West PRO Members Public
WSJ journalist Evan Gershkovich was detained on suspicion of espionage last week — the first such case involving a foreign reporter since the Cold War. This was likely not only intended to top up Russia’s “exchange fund” for future prisoner swaps with the U.S., but to send a warning

The killing of Vladlen Tatarsky could spark a crackdown PRO Members Public
Vladlen Tatarsky, one of Russia’s best-known pro-war bloggers, was killed by an IED on Sunday evening while he delivered a speech in a bar in St. Petersburg. According to official reports, 30 people were injured in the blast. This assassination will have far greater repercussions than the murder of

THE BELL WEEKLY: Military blogger assassination PRO Members Public
Hello! This week our top story is the assassination of military blogger Vladlen Tatarsky and why it might trigger a fresh round of repression in Russia. We also look at the arrest of WSJ reporter Evan Gershkovich and a report that Russia is once again considering using convict labor in

Former president Medvedev, once a critic of Stalin, now uses his speeches to motivate factory directors PRO Members Public
Former Russian president Dmitry Medvedev, who devoted his presidency to promoting civil and economic freedoms, has reinvented himself as one of Russia’s main war hawks. This week, he invoked Stalin’s spirit to motivate directors of factories producing equipment for the military to work harder. Interestingly, just 13 years

Russian state propaganda hails Xi’s visit to Moscow PRO Members Public
Last week, Chinese President Xi Jinping traveled to Moscow, where he spent two days with Russian President Vladimir Putin. Russian state propaganda hailed Xi’s visit as a sign that Russia and China are uniting in opposition to American hegemony. However, the two parties didn’t sign any important new