The push for tax collection comes as Russia's growth has slowed to a near standstill nearly four years after its full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

Simon Migliano, who compiled the Top10VPN shutdown report, told me “Iran’s current nationwide blackout is a blunt instrument intended to crush dissent, starkly different from the sophisticated, slow-burn digital censorship we’re seeing in Russia.”

As sanctions bite and revenues shrink, Russia is slipping backward, reviving barter and improvised trade to keep its economy afloat.

Russia’s ruble has outpaced every major currency against the dollar this year, a rally that caught policymakers off guard and threatens to undermine the nation’s wartime economy.

After showing strong resilience until second half of 2024, Russia’s sanction-hit economy entered an overheating phase last year, followed by a period of cooling - Anadolu Ajansı

Kremlin leader Vladimir Putin will be forced to enter peace negotiations due to the further exhaustion of the Russian economy. — Ukrinform.

Ukraine’s third-largest city plays an outsize role in Ukraine’s export-oriented economy, which depends on cheap routes to market. Before the war, Odessa’s three deep-sea ports handled roughly 60% of all exports.

Russia’s financial system is reportedly coming under more strain as Moscow’s war on Ukraine nears the end of its fourth full year. The White House is seeking to revive peace talks this weekend with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky due to meet President Donald Trump in Florida on Sunday.

The Russian economy is rapidly moving toward a recession, a trend acknowledged by analytical bodies close to the Kremlin. — Ukrinform.

The Ukraine War has turned Kyrgyzstan into a key intermediary for Russian imports, but economic growth is unevenly shared.