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Ukraine to receive 12 million doses of the vaccine
RUSSIA / FSU POLITICS · In Brief · 06 Feb 2021

On February 5 President Zelensky announced that his country will be given millions more doses of AstraZeneca and Novavax. The vaccines are being purchased from India mostly. The first consignment will arrive in late February 2021.The government has been castigated for not obtaining Western vaccin...

Russia fines nickel giant USD 2 billion
RUSSIA / FSU POLITICS · In Brief · 06 Feb 2021

On February 5 a court fined Nornickel for the environmental disaster it caused in 2020 when 21,000 tonnes of diesel was spilled in the Krasnoyarsk Region. It was the worst disaster to hit the Arctic.The fine imposed is a record. Nornickel has argued the fine should be only USD 280 million. The ac...

Russia declares several EU diplomats PNG
RUSSIA / FSU POLITICS · In Brief · 05 Feb 2021

On February 4 Moscow announced the expulsion of certain Swedish, Polish and German diplomats. The diplomats supposedly attended unauthorized protests on January 23. The protests were for the release of Alexei Navalny. All demonstrations in Russia require police permission. The EU's foreign minist...

Russia and Turkey establish a joint base in Azerbaijan
RUSSIA / FSU POLITICS · In Brief · 03 Feb 2021

On January 30 the Russian and Turkish armies opened their shared base in the Aghdam Region. There are 60 soldiers from each army, and there is no joint commander. This is the first time in over 100 years that Turkey has stationed troops in Azerbaijan. The purpose of the base is to launch monitor ...

Gazprom exported more to the EU than ever in January 2021
RUSSIA / FSU POLITICS · In Brief · 03 Feb 2021

On February 1 VTB Capital estimated that Gazprom's exports to the EU hit a record in January 2021. Gazprom sent 19.4 billion cubic meters to the EU that month. That was worth USD 4.5 billion. The gas sent was a 45% increase on December 2020Gazprom is eager to complete Nord Stream 2. France is lob...

Russian economy contracted 3.1% in 2020
RUSSIA / FSU POLITICS · In Brief · 02 Feb 2021

On February 1 Moscow announced its official statistics for economic growth in 2020. The shrinkage was less severe than anticipated. The avoidance of a second lockdown was partly the reason for this. Spain by contrast experienced an 11% economic contraction. Rosstat revealed that hotels, restauran...

Russia: We can cut ourselves off from the global internet
RUSSIA / FSU POLITICS · In Brief · 02 Feb 2021

On February 1 Dmitry Medvedev said that the government has the ability to isolate the country from the global internet if the situation demands it. He noted that Russia could also disconnect from SWIFT. Medvedev is deputy chair of the Security Council. The law permits the government to do so. How...

Special Report - Why did Armenia lose the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict?
RUSSIA / FSU POLITICS · Report · 01 Feb 2021

Now that the dust has settled on the Nagorno-Karabakh Conflict the pundits have been able to opine on the reasons for Armenia’s heavy defeat. They have also been able to draw inferences from how the two nations fought and why one emerged so patently on top. The conflict ended with a ceasefire ...

Iran buying Russian vaccine
RUSSIA / FSU POLITICS · In Brief · 30 Jan 2021

On January 30 Iran announced that it will receive Sputnik V doses on February 4. Iran has already approved the vaccine. There will be further shipments later in February. Iran and Russia have had a fairly warm relationship for the last 30 years.Iran has refused to countenance vaccines made in the...

Sberbank investing USD 400 million in online retail
RUSSIA / FSU POLITICS · In Brief · 29 Jan 2021

On January 28 Russia's biggest bank announced it aims to become the country's main online retailer, too. It has signed a memorandum of intent to increase its stake in Goods.Ru. The bank wants to buy an extra stake in Goods.Ru from M.Video-Eldorado Group for USD 52 million.Sber's stake in Goods.Ru...

Russian private equity firm attracts USD 260 million to digital fund
RUSSIA / FSU POLITICS · In Brief · 28 Jan 2021

On January 21 Kommersant reported that Elbrus Capital's investment fund for the Russian digital sector is doing very well. It is the third fund launched by the investment house, which has tech as its niche. Elbrus specializes in former USSR countries. Elbrus' aim is to raise USD 600 million by th...

Essential CIS Politics: January 2021
RUSSIA / FSU POLITICS · Report · 28 Jan 2021

• Russia is slowing the spread of the coronavirus, distributing vaccines as Moscow reopens. • Russia’s gold reserves have risen in value significantly as the RUB remains undervalued. • In Kyrgyzstan a new president was elected. • In Kazakhstan the ruling party won elections marred by a total l...

Russian private equity firm attracts USD 260 million to digital fund
RUSSIA / FSU POLITICS · In Brief · 28 Jan 2021

On January 21 Kommersant reported that Elbrus Capital's investment fund for the Russian digital sector is doing very well. It is the third fund launched by the investment house which has tech as its niche. Elbrus specializes in former USSR countries. Elbrus' aim is to raise USD 600 million by the...

Russia penalizing social media networks for not censoring protest memes
RUSSIA / FSU POLITICS · In Brief · 28 Jan 2021

On January 27 Moscow's communications regulator (Roskomnadzor) announced fines levied on seven social media networks that did not remove pro-Navalny videos. Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, TikTok, Vkontakte, Odnoklassniki and YouTube were all found to be in breach of a law that obliges them to remo...

Moscow to reopen bars as coronavirus falls
RUSSIA / FSU POLITICS · In Brief · 27 Jan 2021

On January 27 Moscow relaxed its work-from-home rule and restaurant curfew. Coronavirus cases are going down further and further. Until now only 30% of staff could work in person. Restaurants and bars had to close 11 pm and 6 am.The city will decide by February 6 whether students will be allowed ...

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