July 5:
The Kremlin is tightening its grip on the Internet and social media still further. Business Insider reports that a new law just passed by the State Duma forces Internet Service Providers (ISPs) to retain the personal records of its users within the country’s borders.
The law’s proponents have billed it as a reaction to pervasive U.S. electronic surveillance - which has raised hackles abroad in recent months. But Internet privacy activists take a different, and more sober, view. "The bill takes the right of people over their own personal data away from them,” Russia’s Association of Electronic Communication has said in a public statement.
July 6:
Russia’s economic prospects may be constricting in the West, where the Kremlin’s actions in Ukraine have raised hackles, but they are expanding in Asia. New Europe reports that Russian and Indian firms are now in consultations over an expanded energy partnership - including the potential construction of a pipeline from Russia to India via Kazakhstan. The talks between Indian energy conglomerate ONGC and Russia’s Rosneft are reportedly part of a five-year plan drafted by the Indian government to expand its global energy profile.
July 7:
The Moscow Times reports that prosecutors are calling for an eight-year jail term for anti-Kremlin protestor Sergei Udaltsov for his alleged role in instigating the Bolotnaya riots in Moscow in 2012. Udaltsov, who has been under house arrest since February of 2013, claims “the case was fabricated in retribution for his anti-Kremlin campaigning.” His case is part of a wider crackdown on many who have spoken out against the current Russian regime.
July 9:
Said Amirov, the long-time mayor of Makhachkala in Russia’s republic of Dagestan faces 13 years in prison for plotting to assassinate a rival political official. According to The Moscow Times, Amirov illegally acquired a handheld rocket launcher and plotted to gun down the airplane of Dagestan Pension Fund’s Chairman, Sagid Murtazaliyev.
Russia’s ongoing meddling in Eastern Ukraine has dealt a significant blow to its economy. The International Business Times reports that $75 billion in capital fled the Russian Federation in the first half of 2014 alone, and estimates now project that the figure could reach as much as $100 billion by year’s end. The trend has brought the Russian economy to the brink of recession, with officials estimating “zero growth” for the foreseeable future.
July 11:
Russian president Vladimir Putin has embarked upon a six-day, three-country tour of Latin America. Russia Beyond The Headlines reports that the “historic” state visit will take Putin to Cuba, Argentina and Brazil. The trip, experts say, is a sign of Latin America’s growing importance on the Russian foreign policy agenda amid growing disagreements with the United States and Europe. "A visit from our president is a sign of respect for Latin America and a sign that Russia acknowledges the growing significance of Latin America in the global economy and in world politics," says Vladimir Davydov of the Russian Academy of Sciences. "It also comes at a difficult moment when the West is currently trying to isolate Russia. Russia senses very friendly relations coming from the Latin American community, and that is extremely valuable."