The Bell

Russia Update: Former Skolkovo Foundation Vice President Beltyukov Arrested in Absentia

July 27, 2015

Aleksei Beltyukov, vice president of the Skolkovo Foundation created to promote tech entrepreneurship in Russia, has been arrested in absentia in a long-standing fraud case, Welcome to our column, Russia Update, where we will be closely following day-to-day developments in Russia, including the Russian government’s foreign and domestic policies. The previous issue is here. Special […]

Russia Update: Six Islamist Militants Killed in Nalchik Said to be ISIS Members

July 24, 2015

Six Islamist militants shot dead by police in Kabardino-Balkaria, a republic in Russia’s North Caucasus, were said to be members of ISIS. Welcome to our column, Russia Update, where we will be closely following day-to-day developments in Russia, including the Russian government’s foreign and domestic policies. The previous issue is here. Special features: – ‘I […]

Russia Update: Ekho Moskvy Faces Loss of Economic Independence

July 23, 2015

The MacArthur Foundation announced it is leaving Russia after being included in the government’s “undesirable organizations” list. It is the last of US philanthropies to leave in a decade as Putin’s crackdown on civil society worsens. Welcome to our column, Russia Update, where we will be closely following day-to-day developments in Russia, including the Russian […]

Russia Update: Moscow Threatens Deployment in Crimea of Nuclear Bombers to Counter US BMD

July 22, 2015

Russia has threatened to deploy TU-22M3 strategic bombers in occupied Crimea capable of delivering nuclear missiles in retaliation to the US plan to build a Ballistic Missile Defense base in Romania later this year. Welcome to our column, Russia Update, where we will be closely following day-to-day developments in Russia, including the Russian government’s foreign […]

Russia Update: Posts Deleted Last July at Strelkov’s Forum; Another Group Reports ‘Ukrainian’ Crash

July 17, 2015

A forum of Antikvariat.ru, a site about military collectibles and historical re-enactment of battles moderated by former separatist commander Col. Igor Strelkov and tied to his VKontakte community “Strelkov’s Dispatches” shows signs of deletion of posts on July 17, 2014, the day flight MH17 was downed likely by Russian-backed separatists. Meanwhile, another social media group […]

Russia Update: Did Col. Strelkov Report the Downing of MH17 Before Other Social Media Users?

July 16, 2015

Pro-separatist social media indicates that the Russian-backed fighters bragged about downing a plane they thought was a Ukrainian AN-26 cargo plane. Yet outside of VKontakte or any other separatist social media, ultimately, it’s the official or loyal Russian press that contains the most damning trails of information about the separatists’ brag. Welcome to our column, […]