RussiaGate #Digest

2021-04-23 15:05:31 Russia’s central bank raised its key interest rate to 5% today.

On 19 March 2021, the Bank of Russia Board of Directors decided to increase the key rate by 25 b.p. to 4.50%. The further hike was looking inevitable in the face of the growing inflation and American sanctions, but Russian business and experts expected a moderate 25 b.p. increase.

The Bank of Russia decided otherwise. The regulator stated in its official press release that the inflation is still well above not only its initial forecast of 4%, but also exceeds the latest forecast of 4.7-5.2%: annual consumer price growth rate rose to 5.8% in March.

The regulator believes that the inflation will return to its target of 4% by the middle of 2022. It is nothing but a wishful thinking. Today’s increase of the key rate by 50 b.p. will certainly take a heavy toll on the economic activities in Russia. It might as well be not the final hike of the key rate this year. Open / Comment

2021-04-23 14:23:40 Russian rocket scientist from Moscow Aviation Institute Alexei Vorobyev has been sentenced today to 20 years of prison on accusations of treason and conspiracy to export components of weapons or other military equipment. Another Russian researcher jailed. Open / Comment

2021-04-23 12:50:00 Russian Foreign Intelligence Service (SVR) Director Sergei Naryshkin slammed Czech authorities decision to expel about 60 more Russia diplomats after the unprecedented scandal between two countries. The bilateral relations are now on the verge of a diplomatic break-up.

According to Naryshkin, all allegations of Russian secret services being behind the massive Czech depot explosion in 2014 are false. Naryshkin said that Сzech Republic is a country with limited sovereignty which fabricated lies against Russia and “got what it deserved’’.

It is unclear what kind of redemption the Czech got because they look completely comfortable expelling Russian diplomats. The language used by Naryshkin and SVR in response to these allegations is regrettably emotional for the chief spy of a great country.

Naryshkin was in the middle of controversy last year when Russian investigative media Proekt spotted him with the family member of the Deputy PM of Azerbaijan in Moscow amidst the Karabakh War fought by Turkey and Azerbaijan against Russian ally Armenia. It appeared that Naryshkin is closely linked to Jewish Azerbaijani oligarch God Nisanov and regularly visits a private swimming pool in the Moscow mall “Evropeiskiy” owned by Nisanov.

Veronika Naryshkina, the daughter of SVR’s Director, used Nisanov’s private jet in one of her flights to Baku. Russian ally Armenia was defeated in the Karabakh War. Open / Comment