Russia
MOSCOW BLOG: Russia and Saudi Arabia’s oil production cut is pre-emptive strike on EU’s price cap scheme
Has Riyadh just sided with Putin by agreeing to cut oil production by 2mn barrels? It's more complicated than that.
Armenia’s Pashinyan, Turkey’s Erdogan set for unprecedented face-to-face Prague meeting
Encounter is “huge” says analyst. However, hopes for a breakthrough in resolving Armenia-Azerbaijan conflict are low.
Lukashenko draws himself deeper into Putin’s war
Lukashenko has now officially admitted a certain participation by Belarus in Russia’s war in Ukraine, likely due to increased pressure from Putin for more political support. Now Lukashenko is drawing himself even deeper into Putin’s war.
NEMETHY: Is the world heading towards a “polycrisis”?
According to historian Adam Tooze, we are currently potentially facing a “polycrisis”: a number of smaller to medium-sized crises in the world that have the potential to combine and reinforce each other.
Russia strikes Kyiv Oblast with "Kamikaze" drones from Iran
‘Kamikaze’ drone attacks were reported 80 km from Kyiv in the city of Bila Tserkva on the night of October 4. The drones are allegedly part of the Iranian-made Shahed series, which Russia has used on the battlefields since September.
Russia’s services PMI climbs again in September to 51.1, on rising client demand
The seasonally adjusted S&P Global Russia Services PMI Business Activity Index registered 51.1 in September, up from 49.9 in August, the company reported on October 5.
Central Asians targeted in Russia’s desperate mobilisation drive
Rights activists insist Central Asian labourers are being conned.
Hungary agrees on deferred payments with Gazprom for winter gas deliveries
Agreement helps ease pressure on Hungary’s widening current account deficit and steady the sinking forint.
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US sanctions Russia’s CBR head Nabiullina and other officials
The US Treasury has announced additional sanctions in response to Russia’s "fraudulent" referenda and subsequent annexations of the occupied regions of Ukraine, with the SDN list now including the Central Bank of Russia Governor Elvira Nabiullina.
Russia prepares for new attacks against Ukraine from Belarusian territory
While last week's mobilisation scare from Belarus appears to be a false alarm, Belarus is helping Russia prepare for renewed attacks along the lines of Ukraine's border with Belarus.
Blue and yellow returns to Lyman, Borova and Mikhailivka as Ukraine liberates settlements in east and south
Ukrainian troops liberated several settlements over the weekend in the east, including a critical victory in the city of Lyman on 1 October, just days after Russia announced the annexation of Russian-controlled territories in Ukraine.
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OPEC+ makes 2mn bpd cut, angering the US
Months of badgering by Western leaders counted for nought this week as OPEC+ announced a 2mn bpd quota reduction that serves to bolster prices and cover up issues raising production.
VB Partners buys Petrovax
Interros will divest 100% of its stake in biopharmaceuticals company Petrovax, according to a statement by the company.
EU members still fail to see eye to eye on gas price cap
EU member states met again on September 30 to discuss imposing a price cap on gas imports, but there is still little consensus on what form the measure would take.
Putin signs off annexation of four Ukrainian regions
President Vladimir Putin has annexed the largest piece of territory in Europe since those taken by Adolf Hitler.
Kremlin preparing for a protracted conflict by putting Russian economy onto a war footing
Details from the draft 2023-2025 budget show that spending on the Russian army this year will rise by half to RUB5 trillion.
Russia’s industrial output decline slows to only 0.1% in August
Russia’s contraction in industry slowed in August after industrial production posted a mere 0.1% contraction y/y in August, RosStat reported on September 29.
Poll shows Putin's popularity took hit in September but remained as high as 77%
Since the war in Ukraine started Russian President Vladimir Putin’s approval rating has shot up and has remained consistently between 82-83%, according to the independent pollster the Levada Centre.
Russian men fleeing the draft are caught between suspected of being pro-Putin and Western closed-door policies
The partial mobilisation announced on September 21 by Russian leader Vladimir Putin has caused an unprecedented exodus of the Russian male population eligible for the draft. But do they support him and can they cross into the EU?
Report says Russian gas supplies to Europe via TurkStream now endangered
Gazprom unit that operates pipeline said to be withdrawing all technical support.
