The total outflow of means from funds invested in Russian assets increased to $91.8 million during the week beginning January 14th. According to Interfax, based on data provided by the Emerging Portfolio Fund Research (EPFR) analysts, last week investors withdrew $70 million from Russian investments—an outflow of means increased by 30%.

Sberbank CIB estimates the total net cash outflow from funds investing only in shares of the Russian Federation also increased to $42.1 million from January 14 …

City authorities in Moscow have rejected an application submitted by the liberal Yabloko party to hold a public rally to call for the removal of Ramzan Kadyrov, the head of the Chechen Republic.

Radio Free Europe reported that Yabloko instead plans to hold a rotating one-person picket on January 26th in front of President Putin’s administration building, as public demonstrations in Russia of more than one person must be approved by the authorities. Russian opposition groups report that it is …

The Minister of Finance of Ukraine, Natalie Jaresko, held a meeting with Canada's Federal Minister of International Trade, Chrystia Freeland, where she asked for Canadian support in the trade dispute with Russia within the World Trade Organization (WTO). RNS reported that the meeting took place at the Davos World Economic Forum, and the details were posted on Jaresko’s Facebook page.

"Today I had a pleasant meeting with the Minister of International Trade of Canada and my good old friend …

The Russian Defense Ministry announced a significant expansion of staff of their ground forces "in response to the increasing intensity of the NATO countries’ training." There are currently no Russian ground troops in Crimea.

The Russian Federation ground forces will be strengthened by combining existing sections of the Army into four new divisions, said the Russian Defense Ministry on Friday, January 22nd. "In 2016, three divisions will be formed in the Western territory and one in the …

Gazprom claimed that the Anti-Monopoly Committee of Ukraine (AMCU) has no authority to regulate the transit of Russian gas through Ukraine. This was reported by Interfax, citing the press service of Gazprom on Friday, January 22nd. The Russian gas giant said that the decision of the AMCU to impose a $3.47 billion fine upon Gazprom was an "attempt to exert pressure."

"This arouses extreme surprise, because Gazprom does not carry out any business activities on the territory of Ukraine by passing …

At the World Economic Forum in Davos, Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko and the President of Azerbaijan, Ilham Aliyev, agreed on the need to develop a transit route that bypasses Russia.

The Presidents were pleased to learn about the successful departure of the first container train from Ilyichevsk that will follow the Ukraine-Georgia-Azerbaijan-Kazakhstan–China route. Poroshenko and Aliyev’s coordinated efforts need to work further in this direction, according to the press service of the …

The Russian investigative committee is asking the court to extend the house arrest of the Director of the Library of Ukrainian Literature in Moscow, Natalia Sharina, for another three months, her lawyer Ivan Pavlov reported.

"On January 27th, the Presnensky Court of Moscow will consider the extension of the house arrest of Natalia Sharina. The investigative committee asked the court to extend this period for another three months," Pavlov said. According to him, the court will begin hearings …

The United States closed five Honorary Russian Consulates in response to the closing of the American Center in Moscow, Interfax reported, referencing the Press Secretary of the Embassy of the USA to Russia, William Stevenson, on Friday, January 22th.

"This action is taken in response to the continued Russian interference in our diplomatic consular activities in Russia" the American Embassy stated.

The US withdrew accreditation from five of the six Honorary Consulates in the USA: in California, …