Top 🔟 News from Russia 22.07.2023

Good morning,

Welcome to the subjective list of top 10 News from Russia.

And today, among another things, Girkin, Inflation, further restrictions on abroad exchange payments, and fresh sanctions packages. What about Decathlon? What quality will Coca-cola be available on Russian regiments? Come in.

Place 10 – Igor Girkin (Stolekov) with allegations

The Moscow court examined the request for Igor Girkin's (Streaky) prevention measurement in the form of arrest, informed Interfax in the court's press service.
Strewkov was detained on July 21 by law enforcement officers and the FSB.

According to preliminary data, the detention took place officially at the request of erstwhile PKW Wagner employee. Igor Strzełkow will stay in custody until 18 September, due to the fact that he "has conspiracy and countermeasure skills".

Detention of Igor Girkin (Strełkowa) (Econonomy.pl)

Place 9 – Monetary restrictions proceed and will continue.

The Central Bank (CB) of the Russian Federation does not yet see the preconditions for the removal of existing currency restrictions, said politician Elvir Nabiullin on 21 July at the Council of Directors of the Bank of Russia.

"Limitations are valid until 9 September, we have not yet taken a decision, but at the minute we can say that there are no grounds for abolishing these restrictions"

According to her, these restrictions are linked to the current sanctions against imports of abroad currency in cash by Russian banks within the Russian Federation.

As a reminder, there are many limitations imposed on companies and individuals. The most well-known and severe regulation is the imposition of a limit on paying citizens' currencies over $10,000 from their accounts. Above this amount it is not possible to pay Wednesdays another than in rubles. The regulation shall cover the full amount. The limit does not reset after a time period. If a citizen of Russia has already paid his motto erstwhile and exceeded the amount mentioned above, then everything above is inactive unavailable. I mean available, but only in a ruble equivalent.

Place 8 – Decathlon makes a full exit from Russia.

The Government Commission approved the acquisition of the Decathlon network in the Russian Federation.

The abroad Investment Control Commission approved the sale of the French Decathlon network in the Russian Federation of 35 stores to the owner of the Mango franchise. This was stated by Deputy Head of the Ministry of manufacture and Trade of the Russian Federation Viktor Yevtuchov on 21 July in an interview with Izwiestia.

"We did not let Decathlon or anyone else from abroad companies who decided to leave, sale business in parts, and get the full value of assets without the law. Decathlon now sells an full network of 36 properties (35 stores and a warehouse). The buyer is the Russian company AWP, which, among another things, sells fashionable clothes and owns the Mango franchise. This agreement has already been approved’

The fresh owner, in accordance with the terms of the contract, is obliged to open all shops and re-create 1.4 1000 jobs.

Let us callback that the French network Decathlon announced the suspension of work in Russia on 29 March 2022. On June 16, the same year it was revealed that any of the facilities would be closed.

On 16 June 2023, the Deputy Head of the Ministry of manufacture and Trade of the Russian Federation announced that the sporting items retailer was looking for a buyer for his activities in the Russian Federation.

Place 7 – Fake sodas.

The marketplace share of counterfeit products in the marketplace for carbonated beverages has begun to rise: we are mainly talking about counterfeits of well-known global brands that have announced withdrawal from the market.

"Today, according to our estimates, the share of counterfeit and counterfeit products in the non-alcoholic marketplace is at least 10% and is expanding steadily. According to another estimates, especially given the situation in the conventional trade sector, this share already exceeds 20%."

You're most likely reasoning what I'm reasoning :-). What about alcohol? It's an eldorado.

Criminals may feel impunityless, and specified information as below is rare. Most alcohols come from confederate regions. where national services are banned.

At the end of May, it turned out that the police in Volgograd closed 2 workshops to produce illegal alcohol and 4 warehouses to store it. The organiser of the criminal activity and its associates, including container and packaging suppliers, has been identified. More than 1,100 bottles of counterfeit vodka, more than 7 tons of alcohol, more than 10,000 nuts, containers, 2 bottle closing machines and 2 sets of bottling devices, as well as work records, cell phones were confiscated by smugglers. According to preliminary estimates, the cost of alcohol products exceeds 1 million rubles.

Place 6 – The fall of money-transfers to central Asian countries

Money transfers are falling from Russia to countries not considered hostile to Russia or Kazakhstan, Georgia, Armenia and Kyrgyzstan

According to RBC estimates, transfers from Russia to these countries fell
for the first time since March 2022 erstwhile specified transactions became popular. .

In May 2023, US$625.9 million was transferred to these 4 countries, which is 33% little than in May 2022, according to RBC calculations. The May index besides decreased compared to April 2023, erstwhile US$650.4 million was transferred. For the erstwhile 13 months, the situation was reversed.

Since April last year, the volume of transfers abroad has grown (calculations for 4 countries). The summit was reached in October 2022 (US$1.1 billion). On the another hand, the maximum yearly growth rate of these transfers was recorded in February 2023 (225%) and
October 2022 (210%)

Transfer volume to Georgia in May 2023 decreased by 55% compared to
in May 2022 and amounted to US$154.7 million, which happened for the first time since May 2022.

The volume of transfers to Kazakhstan falls second period in a row. In April 2023 it fell by 44% compared to April 2022 and already in May 2023 fell by 78%, to $23.7 million.

In May 2023 from Russia, 35% little was transferred to Kyrgyzstan than in May 2022 – US$160.5 million. At the same time, the data from April for a year fell even more
- 41%.

Kyrgyzstan, alongside Uzbekistan and Tajikistan, is among the 3 leading countries in terms of the influx of commercial migrants to Russia. The only direction in which remittances proceed to grow is Armenia, but the pace of their growth has importantly slowed down. Thus in May 2023 USD 287 million was transferred to this country, which is only 8% more than in May 2022.
By comparison, growth rates in the remaining months ranged from 85% (March 2022) to 628% (February 2023).

One of the main reasons for the increase in remittances was the relocation of Russians. Now there is no 1 reason to reduce volumes, says Egor Krivoshey, head of the blockchain and fintech laboratory at the Skolkovo School of Management: "They include a change in the financial behaviour of migrants and the return of any people to Russia and the usage of already transferred savings funds, as well as the introduction of restrictions on popular transfer methods by large banks".

According to Krivoshey, the downward trend in remittances is likely to proceed unless there are greater shocks.

In all of this, Russian experts have omitted any causes – the first is simply a steep decline in the presence of temporary workers from these countries – in Russia, 4-5 million people. who transferred their earnings to countries of origin to safe the lives of their families. And it would be hard for them to hazard staying in Russia erstwhile they can be considered fit for service in the Russian army at any time – even erstwhile their passport shows that they are not Russian citizens. Tolerance of the Wojenkomats to translations as trivial as citizenship – erstwhile you know Russian – is already well known.

The second is that Russians and foreigners carry out all they can in suitcases, gold, precious stones and currency.

Place 5 – Road gasoline in occupied areas

The authorities of the Zaporo region announced that they would start punishing operators for overpriced petrol prices.

Zaporoże regional authorities will punish operators for unreasonable overpriced prices, Kozenko, vice-president of the pro-Russian regional economical authorities, said. Meanwhile, gas prices at gas stations in Russia are mostly rising under the influence of evidence stock prices.

Kozenko on the material showed that he visited petrol stations, drew attention to the "unacceptable" price upturn and warned against the consequences of the violations. He said that “we will draw up administrative protocols for speculators. It is unacceptable that the price of fuel is higher than the maximum retail price approved in our Zaporos region, assuring that the regional authorities will “precisely monitor” matters.

The movie besides shows the price of gasoline at 1 of the gas stations. So diesel cost 61 rubles. per litre, AI-92 – 51,5 rubles. for liter and AI-95 – 55,9 rubles.

The cost of petrol at petrol stations is rising due to the increase in stock exchange fuel prices (e.g. the cost of AI-92 on the Petersburg Stock Exchange exceeds the threshold of 63 000 rubles per tonne, 20 July the price rose by 2.03%). Thus, the average consumer prices of gasoline in Russia increased by 27 kopecks from 11 to 17 July 2023. – to 52.76 rubles. for a liter, he had previously calculated Rosstat.

According to statistics, the average prices of petrol AI-92 increased by 24 kopecks. and was 48.88 rubles. for a liter. Average prices for AI-95 petrol increased by 27 kopecks to 53.36 rubles. for a litre of cost AI-98 increased by 42 kopecks. And it was 63.8 rubles. for a liter.
The price of diesel rose by 3 kopecks, to 58.45 ruble.

Place 4 —.Pay for not being called into the army or...

State pride has approved fines of up to 50 000 rubles for violation of military registration obligations

The draft amendments to the code of administrative misconduct of the FR were approved at the gathering of the State Duma Commission on State Construction and Legislative. The paper proposes strengthening sanctions for violations of military registration obligations. For non-proclaiming in wartime on a written call for no legitimate reason (Article 21(5) of the Code of Administrative Offences of the FR), it is proposed to increase the fine from 0.5-3 1000 to 40-50 1000 rubles. It is proposed that the "non-information by the citizen" of information on the change of residence, work, discipline and civilian position be distinguished in the separate paragraph of Article 21.5 of the Code of Administrative Offences of the FR and fined 10-20 1000 rubles. (instead of a maximum of 3,000 rubles now).

According to the committee, the evasion of medical examinations and the deliberate demolition of papers calling for admission should be subject to fines ranging from 15 to 25 1000 rubles. (now up to 3,000 rubles). For failing to execute the obligations related to the mobilisation of military transport (Article 19.25 of the Code of Administrative Offences of the FR) citizens are now facing up to 300 rubles, and legal persons – up to 20,000 rubles and the draft amendment implies raising the bar to 15-25 1000 rubles. for individuals and up to 350-400 1000 for legal persons.

It is besides proposed to supplement the Code with a fresh Article 19.38 on the "failure of assistance" to wartime mobilization. We are talking about failing to comply with the obligations of "term notification and placement of citizens subject to conscription ... at collection points". For this it is proposed to punish officials with a fine of 60-80 1000 rubles, legal persons – by 400-500 1000 rubles. akin sanctions endanger perpetrators who "have not organised or ensured the supply of equipment to collection points or military units".

According to Russian lawyers, fresh fines of up to 50,000 rubles
This is simply a crucial increase – especially if this is compared to the fines resulting, for example, from the provisions of the Code of Administrative Offences of the French couples. 12.8 (for driving under the influence of alcohol) of 30,000 rubles or 4,000 rubles. pursuant to Article 19.3 of the Code of Administrative Offences of the FR for not following orders from a police officer. There was so a change of accents – from compliance with basic social standards – to fulfilling obligations towards MinOborona.

What is more interesting – experts point to specified a sharp increase in the amount of the penalty, which does not correlate with either the pay or the existential minimum in Russia.

One might even think that this is simply a simple way of mass production of those who can be put into administrative punishment – that as debtors – (due to the inability to pay specified advanced penalties) at the same time to turn them into criminals and as specified in criminal and administrative procedures, without having to conduct judicial proceedings – into the army without formal mobilization – as a way to work out the penalty.

Place 3 — .Age of conscription in Russia

The Federation Council opposed the retention of the lower limit of the draft age at 18 years

The heads of the 2 Committees of the Federation Council, Viktor Bondariev and Andrei Kliszas, did not support the State Duma's plans to keep the lower limit of the draft age at 18 years, while raising the advanced limit to 30 years. According to Mr Bondariev, the bill should be adopted in specified a way that the citizen can join the army at the age of 18, but only if he wants to and not by obligation.

Initially, following the proposition of the Minister of Defence Sergey Szojgu, it was discussed the anticipation of raising both the lower and advanced borders for 3 years – from 18-27 years to 21-30 years – with gradual raising of the lower bar. This means that in the first year the standard age will be 19-30, in the second – 20-30, in the 3rd – 21-30. However, the day before, on July 21, the head of the State Duma Defence Commission Andrei Kartapolov said that his committee supports an amendment that extends the border to 18-30 years without gradually raising the bottom bar.

Mr Bondariev pointed out that Members did not talk to Senators about their amendment. He supported the model proposed by the Shojgu and pointed out that he was besides supported by president Vladimir Putin. However, according to the Senator, it is essential to guarantee the right to enter military service from the age of 18 to the will.

However, no 1 had in discussion data – even estimates – on what the draft resources are and how this will affect the pool of human resources available. Meanwhile, the FR army calls for soldiers to function simply – due to the fact that at all its size – the FR army has a problem filling proverbial trenches with specified simple gunmen, targeting grenade launchers or even more paramedics. So all this confusion is there and the muses alternatively both the Federation Council and the Duma will tap what will be considered essential by the Ministry of Defence.

Place 2 — . Four countries and the EU have extended sanctions against Russia in 1 day

The European Union, the United Kingdom, Australia, the United States and Canada besides extended sanctions to Russian natural and legal persons. In particular, Washington added nearly 120 people and organizations to his black list. Among the letters were Alexey Kudrin, a corporate improvement advisor at Yandex.

The sanctions announced on 20 July again affected, among others, the Russian technological sector. In particular, Canada imposed restrictions on Russian mobile operators.

The EU has placed the Moscow Department of Information Technology (DIT) and its 2 contractors, NtechLab and Tevian, active in the improvement of facial designation systems, on the list of actors active in human rights violations. Action against DIT is explained by the fact that it transmits facial designation data to the main MMA department in Moscow (also included in the list).

The sanctions were besides extended to companies active in the improvement and import of electronics, components and equipment. A number of companies importing electronic components or providing contract production services were besides included in the SDN list.

Canada has added the Mir payment strategy to the blacklist and it will not be possible to make payments in Canada through Canadian banks or counterparties from now on.

The United States continued to impose sanctions on Russian oil field services and oil and gas engineering. The SDN list included in peculiar 1 of the marketplace leaders, the drilling company Eurasia, as well as the Siberian Service Company. SDN listing may complicate the reception of the equipment essential for drilling.

The United States besides added to the list of SDN the structure of Gazprom – Gazprom Avtomatizatsiya, the largest player in the oil and gas construction marketplace in the Russian Federation.

One of the largest freight carriers in the Far East, Sakhalin Shipping Company (SASCO) and its MPL Vanino Sakhalin was besides subject to sanctions,

The SDN list includes AEM Propulsion, which produces propulsion devices for ships. In particular, it produces a drive unit, including a drive shaft with a propeller, for the leading icebreaker Rossij of the Leader project, which is being built at the shipyard of Zwieda (managed by the consortium of Rosniefti, Rosnieftiegas and Gazprombank).

Place 1 — Inflation

Not only the ecomia of Russia, but besides the central bank and Elvira Nabiulin presents negative scenarios for this year and undermines the authoritative Rosstat data. Why, erstwhile inflation falls in most countries, in Russia, it begins to grow to worrying sizes?. A lot of our projections are coming true. Russian fans without much The native production of tropical drinks will not last. And to remind you, the West estimates for June.

Inflation – hidden war taxation (economy.pl)

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