Russia
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Russia's black caviar sales slide 22% as shoppers trade down
Russian black caviar sales fell 22% by volume in January-April as squeezed shoppers traded down to red caviar and cheaper fish roe, with sturgeon caviar output also sliding by a third.
Russia’s small businesses buckle under taxes, weak demand and wartime disruption
Russia’s small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) are facing their most difficult year since the invasion of Ukraine, squeezed by higher taxes, falling consumer demand, elevated borrowing costs and mounting internet disruptions.
Russian drones hit Chinese ship before Putin visit
By hitting a vessel manned by citizens of its most critical economic lifeline, the Kremlin risks complicating diplomatic optics just as Putin seeks deeper financial and military alignment with Beijing to sustain his war economy.
Cuba armed with Russian and Iranian drones discussed strikes on US soil, leaked files show
Cuba has acquired more than 300 military drones from Russia and Iran since 2023 and held internal discussions about potential strikes on the US naval base at Guantánamo Bay, American naval vessels and possibly Key West, Florida, Axios reported.
Ukraine escalates drone strikes against Russian oil infrastructure, exports down 10%
Ukraine has stepped up its drone strikes on Russia’s energy infrastructure with one of the most intense weekends of bombing that targeted refineries, pipelines and storage facilities in a campaign that has reduced oil exports by about 10%.
Gabbard’s overseas biolab probe revives debate over US-funded research in Ukraine
US Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard has launched a review of more than 120 overseas biological laboratories funded by American taxpayers.
Kazakhstan rejects idea of Turkic states military alliance
Tokayev reins in any such ambitions at OTS summit attended by Turkey’s Erdogan. At same time, wants to turn Kazakh armed forces into “high-tech fist”.
Natalya Kasperskaya: Kremlin loyalist and IT lobbyist
Natalya Kasperskaya has successfully grown her software development company, InfoWatch Group, while also acting as a lobbyist for the Russian IT sector.
Sanctions and war are forcing Russia to innovate
After the fall of the Soviet Union, Russia had a basic problem: having ignored investing into anything except military technology, the newly independent country found that nothing worked properly. All its technology and machinery was vastly inferior.
Russian SME closures accelerate in 1Q26 as economy contracts
Closures among Russia’s small and medium-sized enterprises accelerated in the first quarter of 2026, after the economy contracted in the first quarter of this year in real terms and economic pressure on small companies mounts.
Ukraine strikes Moscow in the biggest drone attack of the war
The tit-for-tat missile and drone strikes between Russia and Ukraine went up another notch on May 17 after the Armed Forces of Ukraine (AFU) launched its biggest drone strike on the Russian capital since the war started.
Russia leads Europe's skyscraper ranking
Russia accounts for 40 of the 50 tallest skyscrapers currently under construction in Europe, according to 2026 data published by World of Statistics.
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Lukashenko praises US as Belarus receives two-thirds of humanitarian aid from Washington
Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko has praised the United States as a leading source of humanitarian assistance for his country, saying Washington supplied two-thirds of the humanitarian aid received by Belarus over the past year.
Serbia to submit final NIS proposal to MOL as talks near deadline
MOL has been in exclusive talks to acquire a 56.15% stake in NIS from Russia’s Gazprom Neft and Gazprom, which are under pressure to divest following US sanctions imposed in 2025.
MOSCOW BLOG: Trump eats humble pie in Beijing
US President Donald Trump’s trip to Beijing ends today and he has been forced to eat humble pie after coming out of the gate last year with an extremely aggressive policy on China.
IMF: Extreme inequality is fuelling a global debt crisis
During the Great Depression, as he saw ordinary people’s purchasing power collapse, Federal Reserve Chairman Marriner Eccles warned that excessive saving by the rich was draining demand and deepening the downturn.
Russia offers Indonesia full-spectrum nuclear cooperation package
Rosatom has said it is ready to offer Indonesia a comprehensive framework for developing its nuclear energy programme, spanning gigawatt-scale reactors, small modular units and floating nuclear power plants.
Russia's September election: United Russia will win but the sands are shifting under its feet
Russia goes to the polls on September 18-20 for its first State Duma elections since the invasion of Ukraine. The lowed house of the Duma is up for grabs and the outcome is not in doubt: United Russia. But who comes second is a lot more unclear.
Russia deploys Poseidon nuclear torpedoes and Satan II ICBMs
Russia has launched a Khabarovsk special-purpose submarine to carry the Poseidon nuclear-powered torpedo system and debuted the super heavy Sarmat ICBM that can hit any target on the planet.
Russia trims growth outlook as economy skirts stagnation
Russia’s Ministry of Economic Development has delivered a notably downbeat assessment of the country’s economic trajectory on May 12, signalling that growth is likely to stall over the next two years.