Russia has made some serious progress in import substitution, but the new technology sanctions will hit Russian industry hard. Some sanctions will have almost immediate effect. Take microchips, the Russia’s Achilles heel for decades. Despite all the country’s efforts — the Soviet Union even built a city for the sole purpose of solving the problem …
Among Joe Biden’s options to punish Russia for its invasion of Ukraine are disruptive cyberattacks—the kind that Russia itself often unleashes on other countries. Even more broadly, sanctions experts have discussed the possibility of cutting countries off from the global internet entirely, the way governments do to stifle unrest in domestic regions. But Russia has been preparing for …
Russia has been preparing to have its internet cut off Read More
Will Russia take control of Ukraine after a quick military victory? Will it be a long-lasting war of guerrilla? Could an escalation involve neighboring countries and western powers? The outcome of the Russian military attack on Ukraine that began on Thursday, Feb. 24, is unpredictable. But just hours after the invasion, the impact on the …
As Russia launches an unprecedented invasion of Ukraine, world leaders are considering what sanctions they could impose to stop President Vladimir Putin in his tracks. These could include cutting off Russia’s access to key technologies such as semiconductors and even the payments service SWIFT, which powers most of the world’s international money transfers. All of this could have potentially have devastating …
From semiconductors to payments: How the world could use tech sanctions against Russia Read More
The US said Friday it will “probably not” try to kick Russia out of the SWIFT financial messaging system should Moscow invade Ukraine. Washington has threatened to levy “severe” sanctions on Moscow in the event it attacks Ukraine, promising a package of measures that could “devastate” the Russian economy. “All options remain on the table. …
“The largest DDoS attack in Ukraine’s history,” according to the digital transformation minister Mykhailo Fyodorov, took place this past Tuesday, Feb. 15 — just one month after a previous attack. The attack targeted the websites of the defense ministry and armed forces as well as two of Ukraine’s two largest banks – PrivatBank and Oschadbank. Starting at 3pm that day, …
The Russian authorities have been sinking money into domestic alternatives to YouTube for over a year, says a new investigation from iStories and Agentstvo. Allegedly, these Russian video platforms are meant to serve as substitutes in the event that Russia’s censorship agency bans YouTube altogether. However, sources say the country’s leadership doesn’t believe that anything will come of …
How Russian authorities invest in domestic alternatives to YouTube Read More
Bitcoin and cryptocurrencies are at a tipping point as two rival major world powers – the U.S. and Russia – both appear to be moving towards state acceptance of digital money, affirms the CEO of global financial giant deVere Group. The bold assertion from Nigel Green comes as the Biden administration is preparing an executive …
US and Russia eyeing bitcoin: A moment of critical mass for crypto? Read More
As Western powers could restrict supplies of IT equipment and support as part of potential sanctions against Russia, Sber is preparing for all scenarios. Last week, as reported by Kommersant, the state-controlled financial giant conducted technical exercises simulating the interruption of technical support from Microsoft, Nvidia, SAP, VMware and other companies. In a bid to gain more …
How Russian customers of Western IT equipment prepare for potential sanctions Read More
Some are calling it the “nuclear option.” As Western governments threaten Russia with a package of unprecedented sanctions aimed at deterring President Vladimir Putin from ordering an invasion of Ukraine, there’s one measure in particular that appears to strike fear at the heart of the Kremlin: cutting the country off from the global banking system. US lawmakers have suggested …
Finance vs. tanks: Why SWIFT might be the weapon Russia fears most Read More
In the months since Russia began massing troops on the border of Ukraine, the Biden administration has, on multiple occasions, warned that any further aggression by Moscow toward its neighbor would be met with unprecedented levels of sanctions. Now, the White House appears to be dropping some specific hints about what those sanctions might look …
US administration considers technology sanctions if Russia invades Ukraine Read More
Bank of Russia proposed today to ban cryptocurrency investment and mining as governments around the world crack down on the decentralized currencies, citing a variety of threats including monetary stability. At the moment, conducting transactions with cryptocurrencies is illegal in Russia, but investing and buying crypto through exchanges is permitted under a recent change. Russian citizens’ transactions using decentralized …
No exchange, no investment, no mining: Russia’s central bank proposes triple ban on crypto Read More
