Due to a sharp decline in revenue and massive war expenses against Ukraine, russian government has found a new “reserve” for its budget — repressive fines from businesses. In the first quarter of 2025, russian tax service issued a record 190 billion rubles (about $2.5 billion) in fines and penalties — 86% more than last…
russian dictator vladimir putin has signed a law imposing criminal liability on so-called “droppers” — individuals used in “illegal operations with bank cards.” ▫️Although some citizens labeled as “droppers” may themselves be victims of fraud, the law imposes criminal liability with a punishment of up to three years in prison, and up to six years…
Massive forest fires are raging again in russia, with the baikal region being the hardest hit. Currently, the fire is approaching the region’s capital, chita. ▫️In attempts to stop the flames, civil servants and public sector workers are being “voluntarily-forced” into firefighting efforts, but these people lack the skills and proper protective equipment. What’s more,…
Under the guise of fighting “saboteurs,” kremlin is introducing new mechanisms of pressure on the russian population. vladimir putin has signed a law allowing the blocking of accounts and property without a court decision—suspicion of involvement in “sabotage” or its financing is enough. ▫️russian authorities gain another tool to influence activists and disloyal entrepreneurs. Formally,…
russia has halted the operations of the only enterprise in the country that was supposed to supply semiconductors for military aircraft and “import-substituted” passenger liners. ▫️The company “opttron-saratov” is currently on the brink of bankruptcy due to significant losses incurred while fulfilling state defense contracts. Due to tax, utility, and salary arrears, the company’s accounts…
Training specialists in technologies that North Korea does not have access to is part of the Kremlin’s “thanks” for assistance in the war against Ukraine. Moreover, russia actively uses “educational projects” to spread its influence and propaganda in the Global South. By training technical specialists, kremlin simultaneously subjects them to powerful russian propaganda, cultivating leaders…
ministry of digital development of russia has drafted a bill that aims to ban russians from reprogramming gadgets to change their identification numbers. The law would require the blocking of the number if the identifier is altered. The authorities explain such initiatives as part of the fight against cybercrime. However, the real reason is to…
russian dictator held a personal meeting with the editors of history textbooks, during which he emphasized the need to “correct the old textbooks.” ▫️According to putin, textbooks written before the start of the so-called “special military operation” contain “blatant russophobia,” “distortion of historical facts,” and “anything but truthful information.” This rewriting of textbooks, initiated by…
kremlin has been unable to eliminate the consequences of the russian tankers’ disaster in the Black Sea even after six months. ▫️Recently, more oil spills were detected in anapa, the most affected area. Instead, russian authorities are encouraging people, including children, to vacation in the environmentally hazardous zone, despite the fact that oil patches continue…
In russia’s leading universities, the cost of education for technical, physical-mathematical, and IT programs has surged this year by 25–60%. As part of the kremlin’s strategy to tighten control over the higher education system, the russian state duma has also passed a law granting the government the authority to regulate the number of paid and…
These predictions come amid a significant reduction in metallurgical production due to extremely low domestic demand, the loss of many external markets due to sanctions, and unfavorable conditions in the remaining external markets. According to statistics, the production of metallurgical products has been declining since last year, which threatens production shutdowns, plant closures, and mass…
russian propaganda continues to promote ambitious plans for import substitution in aircraft manufacturing, attempting to hide the constant failures behind them. ▫️Despite claims by the leadership of the United Aircraft Corporation of russia about their intentions to “be competitive with Boeing and Airbus in five years,” in reality, the corporation developing the highly publicized “import-substituted”…
