NEWS FROM RUSSIA: March 24, 2024
Edward's weekly Russia-related news roundup & open thread
Welcome to Edward Slavsquat’s weekly Russian media news roundup and open thread-thing. Feel free to share your own URLs in the comments section.
Edward’s internet appearances
This week I spoke with Pelle Neroth Taylor from TNT about Russia-related things. I also had a nice chat about village life with Regis Tremblay.
Your correspondent will make a guest appearance on AM Wakeup tomorrow (March 25) at 7am PST. Tune in live and shower me with compliments/death threats in the chat.
The quote of the week
Over the past ten years, diasporas have gained powerful economic strength, they have become entrepreneurs. In many regions they already control entire consumer markets and are involved in smuggling of clothing and shoes, for example. Catering, passenger transportation, everything for cash—everything goes past the cash register, without markings, without anything.
Our tax officials and security officials are perfectly merging with the diasporas in economic ecstasy. But the Russian people, Russian entrepreneurs, even in their native Russian regions, have no place in this paradigm.
— Andrey Pavlov, CEO of online retailer Zenden, in an interview with Nakanune.ru on March 21
And now for some news.
Economy
Most banks in Armenia will stop servicing and accepting Mir cards. [rbc.ru]
The EU will not interfere with the export of Russian agricultural products to the countries of the global South, said the head of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen. [ria.ru]
Putin instructed the government to begin work on tax reforms. [ura.news]
The Central Bank continues to observe signs of overheating in the Russian economy. While the peak has already passed, demand growth continues to exceed supply capabilities, said Central Bank Governor Elvira Nabiullina. [ria.ru]
The United Arab Emirates Bank Emirates NBD (ENBD) has stopped accepting transfers in rubles and stopped the work of its Russia-focused department. [nakanune.ru]
The Russian government debt is small, but the costs of servicing it are large, said Russian Finance Minister Anton Siluanov: “The debt is small—we have a debt of 15% of the gross domestic product. But the costs of servicing the debt are large. If you and I look and compare how Russia carries out these costs (ed.), then in 2019 the level of costs for servicing the debt by income was somewhere around 3.6%. In 2026, according to estimates, if we carry out our planned borrowings, it will be ... a little less than 10%. That’s a lot.” [ria.ru]
Over the past five years, banks have tripled the volume of repayment of overdue mortgages through the repossession and sale of apartments at auction. In St. Petersburg over the past year, the number of apartments sold for debts has increased by 60%. [fontanka.ru]
Gasoline supplies to the Russian domestic market in March compared to February increased by 13 thousand tons per day, diesel fuel - by 15.5 thousand tons per day. [ria.ru]
Society
133 people, including 3 children, were killed in the terrorist attack at Crocus City Hall. [regnum.news]
Putin declared March 24 a national day of mourning and said additional anti-terrorism and anti-sabotage measures have been introduced in Moscow and the Moscow region, as well as in all regions of the country. [vedomosti.ru]
At the beginning of 2024, the natural population decline in Russia increased by 21.9% compared to the same period last year, according to data from the Federal State Statistics Service (Rosstat). [nsn.fm]
The topic of the death penalty for terrorism will be discussed in the State Duma after the terrorist attack in Crocus, Vladimir Vasiliev, head of the United Russia faction, said in an interview. [vedomosti.ru]
Russian banks are collecting biometric data without the knowledge of citizens using their mobile applications. [ura.news]
The Ministry of Internal Affairs denied claims circulating on Telegram channels that suspects arrested in connection to the Crocus City Hall attack had Russian citizenship. [nakanune.ru]
The head of Chechnya, Ramzan Kadyrov spoke out against “nationalist manifestations” in the wake of the terrorist attack in Moscow: “Russia has been and will be multinational. In this I personally see its strength, power, greatness … “We are already successfully fighting neo-Nazism, and nothing will prevent us from also successfully fighting nationalist manifestations within the country,” he wrote on Telegram. [tass.ru]
In response to the terrorist attack at Crocus City Hall, the Moscow police created special groups for additional checks of foreign citizens. [gazeta.ru]
Covid accelerated Russia’s adoption of AI, and this technology is now being used to usher in a global revolution in education, according to Minister of Digital Development Maksut Shadayev: “Thanks to Covid, artificial intelligence came to healthcare; now in the next five to six years, we believe [AI will lead to] a global restructuring of the education system. AI will determine the individual trajectory of additional education for each child. AI will be tasked with deciding what educational blocks students need for their future careers; AI will be able to determine the abilities of children and prescribe training based on this,” Shadayev said during AI Day at the “Russia” exhibition at Moscow’s VDNKh. [katyusha.org]
Ukraine
One person was killed and four were injured as a result of a missile attack on Sevastopol. [ria.ru]
A Ukrainian official said that a series of explosions in Kiev-controlled Zaporozhye had led to the “destruction of infrastructure facilities”. Earlier, explosions were reported in Kiev. [svpressa.ru]
In response to regular attacks by Ukraine, 150 children from the Belgorod region will be temporarily relocated to the Astrakhan region. An additional 540 children will be sent to the Samara region. [regnum.news]
Putin said Russia may at some point create a “sanitary zone” in Ukraine to protect Belgorod and other border regions from attacks. [nakanune.ru]
A fire broke out in the Lviv region after an explosion at a critical infrastructure facility. [kommersant.ru]
Poland claims a Russian missile violated its airspace in the early hours of March 24. [tass.ru]
Gazprom is supplying gas to Europe in transit through Ukraine in the amount of 42.1 million cubic meters per day, a representative from the company told reporters on March 24. [tass.ru]
It was a very news-heavy week in Russia but I was distracted by puppies. I’m sorry. Intensive squatting coming soon, though.
Until then, have a very nice Sunday.
— Riley
133 dead on 3-22? You don't say. Sounds like yet another Putin domestic terror false flag event in a long line of events since the 1999 apartment bombings.
Birth rate falling...not good. We here in the US have a surplus of illegal aliens to send over if you want them. Our silly government will probably use our taxes to support them while they live and prosper in Russia. Do we have a deal?
Banks snooping using biometrics...not good. That is why I use very, very few apps. Wherever you download them from, that provider has major snoopability, especially the king of snoopers and anti-privacy, the goog.
133 killed by terrorists...makes the headlines whereas millions murdered by mRNA poison injections doesn't move the needle.