Page 46 - RusRPTAug22

post-war reconstruction. Damaged housing makes up for nearly 40% of losses, which amounts to $36.6 billion, according to KSE’s latest update of its study “Russia Will Pay.”
IMF to reduce expectations of global economic growth due to inflation, COVID, and war in Ukraine. Kristalina Georgieva, head of the International Monetary Fund, said in a statement: "It is going to be a tough 2022—and possibly an even tougher 2023, with increased risk of recession. The human tragedy of the war in Ukraine has worsened. So, too, has its economic impact especially through commodity price shocks that are slowing growth and exacerbating a cost-of-living crisis that affects hundreds of millions of people.
Borrell: EU won't recognize Russian passports issued to Ukrainian citizens in occupied territories. EU foreign affairs chief Josep Borrell said that Russian dictator Vladimir Putin's decree to simplify the procedure for all Ukrainians to obtain Russian citizenship is "yet another flagrant violation of Ukrainian sovereignty." The simplified procedure was previously used to hand out Russian passports in Russian-occupied parts of Donetsk and Luhansk oblasts where Russia has distributed almost a million passports since 2019.
Institute for the Study of War: Kremlin likely preparing to mobilize Russian economy to sustain war effort. The U.S. think tank said on July 1 that the Kremlin proposed an amendment that would introduce “special measures in the economic sphere” which would require Russian business to “supply Russian special military and counterterrorist operations.” The ISW also reported that Russia is likely trying to directly merge the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant into the Russian energy system, in contrast to previous Russian claims that the nuclear plant would sell electricity to Ukraine.
Reuters: At least 14 Russian weapons companies have faced no Western sanctions. According to a Reuters investigation, nearly three dozen leaders of Russian weapons firms and at least 14 defense companies have not been sanctioned by the United States, the European Union, or the United Kingdom. These include Alan Lushnikov, the largest shareholder of arms producer Kalashnikov, and Yan Novikov, CEO of missile producer Almaz-Antey. Degtyarev Plant, which makes machine guns, anti-tank and anti-aircraft weapons, and Klimovsk Specialized Ammunition Plant, also faced no sanctions
Der Spiegel: European Commission set to allow Moscow limited transit to Kaliningrad region. According to Der Spiegel, the European Commission plans to issue a clarification that will allow Russia to resume sending goods to the Kaliningrad Oblast exclave via Lithuania. Berlin supports this decision, as the sanctions limiting transit to Kaliningrad created additional tension between
46 RUSSIA Country Report October 2020 www.intellinews.com