The Ministry of Finance has explained the unpredictability of tax policy growth in government spending. Decisions in tax policy are driven by the need to meet the budgetary commitments, and their unpredictability is not a whim of the Ministry of Finance, but a consequence of expenditure decision...

The Independent International Commission of Inquiry into Violations in Ukraine was established in March 2022 by the UN Human Rights Council. It is an independent body empowered to investigate all alleged human rights violations and abuses, violations of international humanitarian law, and "relate...

During the reporting week, Russian propaganda swiftly dealt with several reputation crises which reached the peak of media interest: the direct hit on the headquarters of the Russian Black Sea Fleet, the shooting of a group of senior officers in Nagorno-Karabakh, and the new prices of automotive ...

The Central Bank has decided to raise the key rate from 12% to 13% at the board of directors meeting. The regulator explained this decision by the high inflationary risks. Inflationary pressure in the Russian economy remains high. As of September 11, annual inflation rose to 5.5% after 4.3% in J...

The Kremlin continues to increase political pressure within the country. Authorities conduct "transparent" elections, profits of companies from unfriendly countries are blocked at the authorities' whim, and new national holidays are about to be introduced. All of this is a part of implementing a ...

The propaganda was fully involved in foreign policy vector last week. The visit of North Korean dictator Kim Jong-un became a headline event for the Russian media. Amid internal issues, the focus remained on restraining the out-of-control price growth.

Vladimir Putin and the leader of North...

Considering inflation, the real effective exchange rate (REER) of the ruble against the currencies of major trading partners decreased by 29.9% from January to August 2023. In August, the REER fell by 4.6%, according to data from the Bank of Russia. The real effective exchange rate of the ruble ...

The state's control over the judicial system continues to strengthen in the Russian Federation. There is no doubt about the political motivation behind the court's decision to extend the arrest of Igor Strelkov (Girkin). Strelkov has chosen the tactic of public confrontation with Kremlin, hoping ...

According to the plans of Kremlin political technologists, local elections were supposed to benefit the ruling "United Russia" party and legitimize the occupying authorities in the seized territories of Ukraine. Another reason for the propagandistic pathos was the supposedly Russia-friendly final st...

The export of Russian energy resources to the EU market has decreased to record lows since the beginning of the war. According to Eurostat data, as of the end of June 2023, the volume of imported Russian oil by EU countries has decreased from 29.2% (in 2021) to 2.3%, gas decreased from 38.5% to ...

Limitations of freedom of speech and restrictions on access to information in the Russian Federation are reaching the proportions comparable to those in fascist Germany. The authorities seek to control all aspects of the information space: from internet resources to the media. Bans and blockades ...

The main challenge for state propaganda appeared to be the scaling of drone strikes across the entire European part of the Russian Federation. At the same time, Kremlin media technologists have been solving the task of mitigating public resonance over the funerals of Prigozhin and extending Girki...

The Kremlin is taking active measures to eliminate all politically significant opponents. The exclusion of Igor Strelkov has shattered another community of turbo-patriots, which posed a potential threat of an armed rebellion. Kremlin presents the end of ephemeral democracy, in which Vladimir Puti...

Russians are concerned about the rise in prices. 41% of Russian citizens consider the price increase for goods and services in June-July to be extremely high, according to a survey by the VCIOM research centre which is close to Kremlin. Another 33% believe that the price increase during this per...

Russian propaganda faced the challenge of convincing Russian society of the Kremlin's non-involvement in the crash of Evgeny Prigozhin's business jet last week. Another significant coverage area was in the mitigation of reputational risks caused by the devaluation of the ruble and rising prices....

The Russian government's priority is to curb the rise in prices. Vladimir Putin stated this during a council meeting for strategic development and national projects. The Bank of Russia has already raised the key interest rate to mitigate inflationary risks and does not exclude further increases....

The murder of Yevgeny Prigozhin not only caused shock in society, but heightened concerns about the personal security of representatives of the military, political, and economic establishment. It all started with asset seizure and attempts to humiliate the opponent, followed by exile to Africa. F...

The main challenges for Kremlin propaganda during the reporting week were the lunar-25 space fiasco, the turbulence of the ruble exchange rate, and constant attacks of unmanned aerial vehicles on Russian territories. Media technologists are finding it increasingly difficult to maintain a virtual ...

The Russian ruble’s value continued to decline on Wednesday, breaking the psychological barrier of 110 rubles/euro and 100 rubles/US dollar. Fundamental factors continued to work against the Russian currency. The market is still waiting to feel the influx of additional currency proceeds from the...

While international sanctions restrict manoeuvrability, Russia is actively exploring alternative paths and mechanisms that will allow corporate disputes to be resolved, involving various international parties. One such path is referring to the Hong Kong International Arbitration Centre. Among the...

The perimeter of state propaganda vectors was defined by objective challenges that emerged for Kremlin. The rapid decline in the ruble exchange rate relative to global reserve currencies, and Russia's disregard at the Jeddah summit, forced Kremlin media technologists to intensify the "victory rhe...

The ruble continues to decline against the euro and the US dollar. The euro rose above 107 rubles on the Moscow Exchange, for the first time since March 25, 2022, while the dollar traded towards 98 rubles. On Wednesday morning, the euro rate amounted to 107.0575 rubs./EUR1, while the US dollar...

The legislator drew attention to paramilitary formations this week and decided to cease their activities. The cost of living for the "SMO" volunteers was estimated to be four times lower than the cost of living for the Russian military personnel. This decision was made to prevent the emergence of...

The vulnerability of objects in the depths of the Russian Federation remains one of the main challenges for state propaganda. The Kremlin's mouthpieces are trying to explain the regular "flyovers" over Moscow and the Russian Black Sea Fleet military bases. Externally, Moscow has focused on discre...

Russia will continue its voluntary reduction of deliveries to external markets in September by 300,000 barrels per day. Deputy Prime Minister Novak told the journalists in early July that Russia, as part of efforts to balance the market, will voluntarily cut oil supplies to oil markets by 500,00...

Acts of violence against political opposition members have become commonplace in modern Russia. The conviction of Vladimir Kara-Murza demonstrates that law enforcement officials are willing to violate the law to instil fear and exercise complete control over Kremlin's political opponents. Moreove...

The central theme of the Kremlin's positioning within Russia and on the international stage was the recent "Russia-Africa" summit held in St. Petersburg. The geopolitical influence was highlighted by the announcement of the international court judges being wanted. The propagandists' main headache...

The Central Bank of Russia raised the key interest rate by 100 basis points on July 21, 2023, from 7.5% to 8.5%. This change marks the first increase since the beginning of Autumn 2022. The decision aims to curb inflation but also implies negative consequences - a slowdown in economic developmen...

Active measures are being taken to suppress political opponents of the Kremlin in Russia, while simultaneously preparing for a prolonged war. In this context, the authorities have adopted a series of legislative acts to prepare for a new wave of mobilization, expanding citizens' conscription age....

During the reporting period, state propaganda was characterized by exceptional versatility - the Kremlin's mouthpieces had to address a wide range of topics and audiences. The main efforts were focused on justifying Russia's withdrawal from the grain deal at the beginning of the week, but the pro...

Russia has withdrawn from the grain deal and informed Turkey, Ukraine, and the UN of its objection to its extension. According to the Russian side, the grain deal can only be resumed if key Russian conditions are met, including the reconnection of Rosselkhozbank to SWIFT and the restoration of ...

Russia withdrew from the jurisdiction of the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) on September 16, 2022. The paradoxical situation arose around the ECHR's decision to grant Russia's claims against Ukraine regarding the MH17 Boeing crash. The decision to dismiss Russia's complaint was made due to...

The NATO Summit in Vilnius has become a platform for discussions about the acceleration of Ukraine's admission to the North Atlantic Alliance. The confirmation of the cluster munitions supply to the Armed Forces of Ukraine has determined the vectors of propaganda suggestions for Russian media. Th...

The consolidated budget of Russia had a deficit of 2,356.7 billion rubles in January-May 2023, according to the website of the Federal Treasury. It increased by 621.8 billion rubles in May. The shortage of the federal budget of Russia in the first five months of 2023 amounted to 3,029.5 billion ...

Violations of international obligations, manipulations in legislation, infringement of rights and freedoms, and injustice in the legal system - all these characteristics apply to the modern judicial system of the Russian Federation. Attempts to undermine contractual obligations through threats ha...

State propaganda continues to face the challenging task of explaining the phenomenon of Prihodko's rebellion to Russian society while jeopardizing peace by simultaneously sending clear signals to potential disobedient hotspots and threatening to terminate the "grain deal".

One of the most c...

The exchange rate of the ruble has steadily declined throughout the week. On Thursday, the dollar rose to 93.76 rubles/$1, and the euro was priced at 102.0075 rubles/EUR. The value of the dual-currency basket ($0.55 and EUR 0.45) has increased by 2.83 rubles to reach 97.43 rubles. A wide range o...

An increasing number of states and international organisations characterise the Russian Federation as a state that supports and engages in terrorism. Such countries as Ukraine, Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia, Poland, the Netherlands, and Slovakia, as well as the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of...

The government is planning to replace Airbus and Boeing aircraft with the Russian Tu-214. Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin visited the S.P. Gorbunov Kazan Aviation Plant on Thursday during a working trip. During this visit, they held a meeting to discuss aircraft manufacturing and it wa...

The Kremlin has pardoned the acts committed by the Wagner PMC, including the killing of military pilots, the destruction of aircraft and helicopters, the capture of a city with a population of one million, and even the threat of capturing Moscow. This indicates that the concept of the rule of law h...

The fast "March of Justice" of the Wagner Private Military Company (PMC) mercenaries in Russia has become a real shock for propaganda, which is just in the middle of a large-scale public campaign demonstrating the power of the Russian army with Putin’s direct involvement.

Vladimir Putin kee...

EU member states' representatives have agreed on the 11th package of anti-Russian sanctions. It is known that the new sanctions package includes measures aimed at combating sanctions evasion and allows the inclusion of unique individuals in the sanctions lists. Companies from third countries hel...

The Constitutional Court of Russia once again demonstrated its incompetence as the highest body responsible for upholding legislation in the Russian Federation. The court confirmed that the article on discrediting the army aims to suppress any criticism of the war and that only supporters of the ...

Russian propaganda continues to inspire Russian society with fakes about the unreal ratio of losses between the Ukrainian Armed Forces and the Russian Federation, even involving Vladimir Putin for credibility. Moreover, they are actively creating a virtual picture of positive economic trends. ..._

The 26th St. Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF) is taking place from June 14 to 17 this year. The main topic of SPIEF in 2023 is "sovereign development as the basis for a fair world." The general course of the Kremlin towards political and economic isolationism and the rejection of...

The Kremlin continues to militarise Russian society. Russian legislator has proposed granting amnesty from criminal responsibility for mobilised personnel and contract soldiers to replenish its army reserves. Such "innovative ideas" have been previously used by the Wagner Private Military Company...

The "repelling" of the Ukrainian Armed Forces' counteroffensive was a central theme of state propaganda during the reporting period. Media and social networks were flooded with video reports (including blatantly staged ones) of burned Ukrainian armoured vehicles. Another challenge for propagandis...

According to the preliminary data from the Ministry of Finance, the Russian federal budget for January-May was executed with a deficit of 3.411 trillion rubles (with a planned annual deficit of 2.9 trillion rubles). Budget revenues for the five months amounted to 9.818 trillion rubles, 19% lower tha...

The fact that Russia has violated international law by launching an aggressive invasion of Ukraine's territory and seizing part of it remains unshakable. Any attempts by civil society to resist the system are immediately suppressed. In order to fully control the situation within the country, Russ...

State propaganda is chaotically searching for a way to explain to its own population the shift of the war to Russian territory. In addition to the usual statements about the "destruction" of UAVs over Moscow and "Ukronazis" in the Belgorod region, propagandists have come up with nothing better th...

The Central Bank warned about the risks of the Russian economy entering a phase of overheating. Amid the increased demand from the public sector in the second quarter, supply lags behind demand expansion. If it is impossible to close this gap by increasing imports, the economy will enter a phase...

Fighting against the civil society in Russian Federation continues, with the legislator turning its attention to guarantees for the protection of executive power. In this way, it demonstrates its loyalty to the Ministry of Internal Affairs (MIA) employees, who are used as the tool for intimidatin...

The Afghan-Iranian conflict weakens Russia, as the contradictions between the Iranian mullahs and the Taliban government are systematic and will regularly escalate. The ruling political regimes in Tehran and Kabul are much further apart than their geographical distance suggests. The Taliban are ...

The key trend in state propaganda during the reporting week was the chaotic attempts to justify the failure of the FSB and Russian Armed Forces special forces in the areas adjacent to the Ukrainian-Russian border in the Belgorod region. At the same time, Kremlin is looking for new ways to mobiliz...

Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin, leading a delegation of officials and businessmen, attended the Russian-Chinese business forum in Shanghai. He stated that Russia considers a partnership with China in energy as an unconditional priority. As in international politics, the Kremlin is actively incr...

Russia continues to use manipulative methods to influence international law and achieve its political goals. The attempt to challenge the transfer of the Crimean Peninsula to the Ukrainian SSR is a legislative absurdity. It is an attempt to extend the jurisdiction of the Russian Federation to the...

The creation of the С+C5 group by Beijing dissolves Russian influence in the new configuration of Eurasian geopolitics. The summit in Xinhua, where successful negotiations took place between the leaders of China, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan, and Tajikistan, demonstrated new ...

Kremlin needs to present Russian society with some results of the large-scale offensive for which they carried out mobilization in the fall of 2022. The capture of the destroyed district centre of Donetsk region, Bakhmut, is presented as a ‘victory'. The country's leadership compensates the losses ...

Russia agreed to extend the "grain deal" for two months. Maria Zakharova, the official representative of the Russian Foreign Ministry, confirmed the extension of the "grain deal" for two months. "We confirm the announcement by the President of Turkey about extending the Black Sea initiative for t...

Moscow continues its dual policy towards international justice and calls on Eastern countries to create an alternative to the International Criminal Court (ICC) and the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR). It is proposed to create a new system of international justice, which will allow Russia t...

The main event of Russian propaganda for the last week was the traditional celebration of Victory Day. However, the festive atmosphere was overshadowed by Prigozhin's statements about the monstrous losses of the Wagner PMC and Putin's decree on the conscription of reservists for military training...._

The planned budget deficit of the Russian Federation has already been exceeded in the first four months. According to preliminary data from the Ministry of Finance, the federal budget for January-April showed a deficit of 3.4 trillion rubles. The deficit for the entire year is planned to be about 2....

Kremlin continues to increase political pressure within the country. Information censorship is taking place by blocking the websites of human rights organizations, strengthening control over opposition figures and representatives of civil society, and conducting "military training" for the popula...

Russian propagandists during the reporting period revived the mass events traditions of the Soviet era, demonstrated the "successful repulsion" of the attack of the UAV on Kremlin, and tried to solve the problem of Priogzhin's statements.

Last week’s main topic has been the recent drone att...

The Russian government continues to tighten the rules for withdrawing foreign investments. The limit on purchasing currency on the domestic Russian market when foreign companies sell assets in Russia will be the same for all deals. The introduced rule discriminates against foreign investors, dep...

Russia openly adheres to an ideology that rejects the priority of international law over domestic law. It also questions the institutions of human rights and freedoms, emphasising them as something foreign and hostile aimed at violating its sovereignty. The deportation of residents of annexed te...

The Italian government continues to consistently support Ukraine and limit Russia's influence on the continent. Since the onset of Russia's aggression, official Rome has consistently supported Kyiv and participated in expanding anti-Russian sanctions. Some warnings about the "pro-Russian" freshn...

Official representatives of the Russian Federation use international platforms to voice propagandistic slogans, federal channels broadcast blatant fakes, and Roskomnadzor reported on the results of the fight against dissent in the online space.

Minister of Foreign Affairs of Russia, Sergei...

Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin has stated that sanctions are not a temporary phenomenon. He claims that Russia's former Western partners have gone too far to back down, and that Kremlin will continue on its path of self-isolation.

The Kremlin has formulated its plan in response to G...

Russia has recently been increasing its control over the economy and population of the country and taking measures to limit the activities of foreign companies. Propaganda effectively pits Russia against the "collective West." Confiscation of assets, tax hikes, and intellectual piracy prove Putin...

Moscow has been terrorizing African continent for quite a long period of time already, with the help of Wagner’s private military company mercenaries. Since February 2022, several African nations have fallen within Russia's hybrid military-political sphere of influence. Libya, Mali, the Central Afri...

Russian propaganda has been trying for the whole week to dispel the concerns of Russians about the fact that the war with Ukraine is the ‘fate’ of ordinary people. The media actively covered how a man resembling Putin allegedly visited the Kherson region, and the son of Dmitry Peskov "heroically s...

Kremlin’s attempts to resolve the Armenian-Azerbaijani conflict through mediation have failed. Following the Second Karabakh War in 2020, Russia began rapidly losing its regional authority. Moscow has violated its security guarantees given to Yerevan during the transition of Azerbaijani troops t...

In 2023, the customs reduced its contributions to the budget by 35.1%. Russia's Federal Customs Service (FCS) has transferred 1.288 trillion rubles to the Russian budget in the first quarter of 2023. Revenues have decreased by 35.1%, compared to the same period in 2022, when the amount was 1.98...

Traitors can be recognized as anyone who disagrees with the government's policy. Any dissension is considered to be extremism. Denunciations are introducing the current times. This all describes Russia in 2023, which is slowly approaching Stalinist justice. The cyclicality of history finds its re...

State propaganda, during the reporting week, has focused on convincing Russian society of the need to introduce an electronic database of military conscripts. Russians also explained why military "Victory parades" would not take place in several regions of the Russian Federation and why the wa...

Brexit politics has provided London with strategic advantages on the European continent. The lack of dependence on Russian energy resources frees the hands of British policymakers in the security sphere. As early as May 2022, Britain officially provided security guarantees to Sweden and Finland ...

The law on electronic military summonses was able to shake up Russian society. The new system of drafting for military service will affect at least 25 million Russians. Society's concern was caused by the exclusive right of military commissariats to impose restrictions on leaving the country, con...

State propaganda focused on supporting Putin's messages about positive economic trends during the reporting period, resolving the conflict regarding the construction of a mosque in Moscow, and again frightening Russians with "biological weapons."

Confirming Putin's statements about stabilis...

Vladimir Putin stated that sanctions would last for a long time at the recent meeting of the Russian Federation’s Presidium. Putin claims that Russia was able to mobilize its resources and efforts to ensure stability. According to his words, Russia at the same time managed to ensure stability in ...

The Kremlin continues its policy of restricting civil liberties and increasing censorship in Russia. The Russian legislature has paid particular attention for distributing information through digital platforms. Bloggers in Russia nowadays are under the government's scrutiny, as they function as u...

The Brazilian government proposes to create a "club of peace" but at the same time refuses to join the international sanctions policy regarding Moscow. First and foremost, the reason for continuing cooperation with Russia depends on Brazil's reliance on Russian fertilizer supplies by more than 6...

Russian media paid exaggerated attention to events related to the termination of the lease agreement of the Moscow Patriarchate for the property complex of the National Reserve "Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra". They also discussed the new Concept of Foreign Policy of the Russian Federation. Top event of the...

The deficit of the Russian Federation’s federal budget exceeded 4 trillion. According to the data of the "Electronic Budget" website, revenues to the budget as of March 28 amounted to 3 trillion 496.9 billion rubles, expenses - 7 trillion 504.6 billion rubles. Thus, the deficit was 4 trillion 7....

Since various international legal mechanisms have applied pressure on the entire power vertical of Russian Federation, Moscow has reacted applying an aggressive foreign policy rhetoric towards the International Criminal Court. At the same time in Russia this week, we can see a rapid raise in amou...

Russian-Indian relations are built on post-Soviet inertia. Official Delhi, wishing to preserve its international "strategic autonomy", continues to develop relations with Moscow. The deepest area of cooperation remains in interaction with Russia along the arms supply line, which has been preserv...

The visit of Xi Jinping and the resonance of the decision by the International Criminal Court determined the main vectors of Russian propaganda. In terms of international positioning, the African direction occupied an important place.

At the beginning of the week, the main focus of the atte...

Chinese President Xi Jinping held talks at the Kremlin with Vladimir Putin. One of the topics of conversation was the expansion of economic cooperation. The Heads of State agreed on the principles of economic cooperation for the period up to 2030. They decided to strengthen Russia's partnership ...

The top event of this week was the issuance of an arrest warrant for Vladimir Putin by the International Criminal Court. This decision is a signal to the world community that Russian leadership will be held accountable under international law, which is a major victory for the global justice syste...

The application of French soft power logic toward the Russian Federation has been ineffective. The fluctuation of the foreign affairs policy line between supplying Ukraine with weapons and statements about the unwillingness to destroy Russia and providing any possible security guarantees for the ...

The information dominance of Vladimir Putin has marked the past week. But if the beginning looked optimistic for him - the President of Russia conducted a tour of military factories and received rapturous applause at a meeting with business. The end of the week appeared tense. The International C...

Vladimir Putin spoke at the meeting of the Russian Union of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs. He said that the Russian economy is acquiring a fundamentally different quality, the country was able to compensate for the closure of Western markets, and positive trends are gaining strength. Putin's ...

The world community's indication of its adherence to the principles of justice is the decision of the International Criminal Court to investigate crimes committed by Russian servicemen in Ukraine. Moscow, meanwhile, is developing ways to circumvent sanctions.

The Kremlin refuses to recognize the ...

Although 2022 was representing us Orban-Putin's backdoor agreements, by early 2023, Hungary's leadership was forced to limit its cooperation with Moscow. Throughout the entire past year, the Hungarian government has demonstrated its "special position" in relations with Russia. Although EU coun..._

Eugene Prigozhin, who is losing his military influence, has de facto started his political career while Victor Medvedchuk again appeared in the Russian information space and propagandists outside focused on discrediting Georgian protests.

Eugene Prigozhin has gone beyond the daily military ...

The Kremlin abandoned the president's annual message to the Federal Assembly in favor of "small" speeches.

The main reason can be considered unpopular decisions that the Kremlin was forced to make at the end of the year. One of these solutions is the increase of the Russian army to one and a...

Putin is forced to adjust the goals and terms of the "special military operation".

The public change of goals is evidenced by the statements of the Russian president and the shift in the emphasis of propaganda that has emerged in recent weeks. Both of them increasingly emphasize that the p...

The Kremlin desperately needs military victories of any level to preserve support of the war in Russian society.

In this regard, even a small tactical success is now presented by the Russian media as a great military victory and a harbinger of future major breakthroughs. This emphasis on t...

Russia is preparing for another wave of mobilization.

Mobilization has remained the main topic in the media and in Russian domestic discourse over this past week. The peculiarity is that in both national and local media, the topic of partial mobilization is mostly presented in the form of ...