Russia
Ukraine’s top general Zaluzhnyi warns war could last a decade without systemic Western support
Ukrainian former top general and current UK ambassador Valerii Zaluzhnyi has given another controversial interview accusing Nato allies of “strategic infantilism” that could drag out the fighting for another decade.
Russia central bank governor Nabiullina says economy coming back on track, but big problems remain
Russia’s Central Bank of Russia has started easing monetary policy with a 200bp rate cut to bring down the interest rate to 18% on July 25. That is welcome relief for companies that have been increasingly struggling to cope with high rates.
RIDDLE: Why Russia’s housing market defied the mortgage subsidy collapse
In early July 2025 a year passed since the end of Russia’s subsidised mortgage programme, which many expected would trigger a massive crisis in the construction industry. This didn't happen and the market continues to grow.
Russia, China to set their own gold exchanges, cut ties with Western control
Russia and China are taking concrete steps to reduce Western influence over global gold markets, signalling a broader move towards monetary self-reliance and the redomiciliation of gold reserves away from traditional Western centres.
Intense fighting around Pokrovsk as Russia targets logistics hub
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said on July 26 that fierce battles are raging around the key logistical hub eastern city of Pokrovsk, which Russian forces make making an intensified effort to capture.