
Putin goes YouTube-style in new interview PRO Members Public
Russian President Vladimir Putin said little that was newsworthy in a video interview released Thursday by state-owned news agency TASS. Instead, discussion focused on the format of the interview, which was an obvious copy of popular YouTube vloggers — an apparent attempt to help the Russian leader reach out to new

Liable for $50 billion? PRO Members Public
Hello! This week our top story is the fallout from the latest ruling by a Dutch court in a $50 billion case brought against the Russian state by ex-Yukos shareholders. We also look at a new video interview with Putin that mimics a YouTube blog, how a Soviet-developed drug that

Criminal case against investor Calvey to be wrapped up PRO Members Public
One of Russia’s most controversial criminal cases of last year, which targeted U.S. private equity firm Baring Vostok, looks set to be resolved in the next few months, according to The Bell’s sources. It is likely that Baring Vostok founder Michael Calvey and his partners will be

Leading Russian newspaper Vedomosti faces upheaval PRO Members Public
Russia’s leading business daily, Vedomosti, is on the verge of big changes. Amid rumors of new ownership, it emerged (Rus) Thursday that Vedomosti may get a new chief editor. The leading contender, Dmitry Solopov, is not just known as a journalist, but also a PR specialist. And there are

Calvey case to end with a whimper PRO Members Public
Hello! This week our top story is the approaching end of a controversial criminal case against U.S. private equity investor Michael Calvey. We also look at the upheaval facing leading newspaper Vedomosti, the huge prison sentences given to a group of men accused of plotting armed rebellion, why the

'We will continue to stagnate, nothing will change'. Highlights from an interview with economist Konstantin Sonin PRO Members Public
‘“We will continue to stagnate, nothing will change”. Highlights from an interview with economist Konstantin Sonin One of Russia’s most famous economists, Konstantin Sonin has worked abroad for many years. He has been a professor at Chicago University since 2015, and before that he worked at two of Russia’

Telegram vs. FSB 0:1 PRO Members Public
Hello! This week our top story is the murky case of a popular Telegram channel that suddenly went silent amid rumours of an FSB sting. We also look at how coronavirus could hit economic growth, Ksenia Sobchak’s new show on state-owned television, the Belarusian sugar factory bosses who suddenly

Coronavirus comes to Russia PRO Members Public
Hello! This week our top story is on Russia’s first coronavirus cases and how the country is trying to stop the infection from spreading. We also look at a mysterious new shareholder at an insurance company tied to President Vladimir Putin, the ex-Russian official whose electric van company is

'There is nothing worse in Russia than a battle for power'. highlights from an interview with economist Andrei Movchan PRO Members Public
‘fromAmid the news of a new government, The Bell founder Elizaveta Osetinskaya did a wide-ranging video interview (Rus) with economist and financier Andrei Movchan. A former banker, Movchan now heads Movchan’s Group and his book, Russia in a Post-Truth Era: Common Sense vs. Information Noise, was published last year.

Who’s who in the new Russian government PRO Members Public
Hello! This week our top story is about the movers and shakers in Russia’s new government, which was unveiled this week. We also look at what Russian officials got up to at this year’s World Economic Forum in Davos and have highlights from an interview with economist Andrei