RUSSIA MONITOR MONTHLY 10/2020
Contents
Rosneft Plans Oil Production On Taymyr Peninsula
Russian oil giant Rosneft and Neftegazholding are planning to produce up to 50 million of liquefied natural gas on the Taymyr peninsula. Rosneft is a state-run company while its partner – a privately owned firm belonging to a former Rosneft president Eduard Khudainatov. This is not their first joint project.
Serbia Is Most Enthusiastic About TurkStream
The Russian ambassador to Serbia announced that the Serbian stretch of the TurkStream natural gas pipeline running from the Bulgarian border to the country’s border with Hungary would be ready soon. But before this happens, there is still the Bulgarian leg to be complete. Yet Moscow’s ties with Belgrade are now very cordial.
More Libyan Oil Causes Headache For Russians
With Africa’s largest proven oil reserves, Libya took a major step toward reviving its oil industry by reopening its biggest field, presenting a new headache for OPEC+. The alliance of major producers and its allies hopes to be able to boost production next year yet without price drops.
Putin, Erdogan Discuss Caucasus War And Mercenaries
Armenia and Russia have blamed Azerbaijan for using Muslim mercenaries in the current phase of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict from its beginning. Turkey is believed to deliver hired guns from Syria. In their phone talk, the presidents of Russia and Turkey broached that topic, too. Many signs are that their conversation failed to bring any breakthrough to the whole case.
Russia Provokes Turkey In Syria’s Idlib
Russian aircraft have carried out a strike – the bloodiest surge in violence – in the stronghold of Syria’s rebel forces, also targeting rebel proxies siding with Turkey. What Russia has done might prompt the escalation in Syria’s Idlib. Perhaps Russia seeks to get upsides with Turkey over the latter’s involvement in the Azerbaijan-Armenia fighting.
Balkan Stream Or TurkStream: Bulgaria Is Under U.S. Pressure
U.S. sanctions targeting the Nord Stream 2 and TurkStream natural gas pipeline may have severe repercussions for Bulgaria that is now building the Balkan leg of the latter energy link. The authorities in Sofia say that the Balkan Stream gas link is a separate project to TurkStream. The United States, however, believes something different.
Lukoil Freezes Crude Projects Over Low Oil Prices
The situation on the global oil market has taken its toll on crude projects, also in Russia. As there are huge crude stocks whilst oil price is stable at roughly $40 per barrel, oil output is little profitable and so is looking for new fields.
Lukashenko Plays Against Time in Russia Game
Alexander Lukashenko has no intention of handing full power to Russia. Regardless of what he agreed on with Vladimir Putin during the September visit to Sochi, it is still challenging to imagine Russia taking control of Belarus, a scenario many projected until quite recently.
U.S., Russia Play Cat And Mouse Over New START Treaty
Concluded by the Barack Obama administration, the New Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (New START) is the last remaining U.S.-Russian arms control treaty. It will expire in February 2021.
GRU Hackers and Conspiracy Theories of Russian Intelligence Chief
There are more and more strains appearing in U.S.-Russia ties. First, the U.S. Justice Department announced an indictment against six Russian GRU officers charged with engaging in a series of hacking and malware deployment operations to attack the United States and the whole civilized world.
U.S. Widens Sanctions Against Nord Stream 2
The U.S. administration is making consistent efforts to annihilate the Russia-to-Germany gas link across the Baltic Sea. As eliminating other-than-Russian-flagged vessels from the game proved little effective––since Russia deployed its own fleet––the United States stepped up sanctions against companies having anything to do with those vessels.
HRW Syria Report: Putin Responsible for War Crimes
In its report, Human Rights Watch (HRW) has accused the Syria-Russia alliance of committing possible war crimes and crimes against humanity by attacking civilians in Idlib province.
Russia, OPEC+ Show Cautious Optimism on Crude Volumes
Oil cuts in force under the OPEC+ deal will remain unchanged for the time being, at least until November 17, 2020, thus the next meeting of the ministerial monitoring committee on crude oil limitations. “We reached an agreement to continue executing the deal in full scope,” Russian Energy Minister Alexander Novak informed.
Moscow’s Game with Syrian Kurds
Russia’s policy towards the Syrian Kurds has its clear-cut goal: to convince them to sign a peace deal with the regime in Damascus and force the United States to quit Syria.
As Russian Population Declines Rapidly, Kremlin Faces Demographic Crisis
The population of Russia is forecast to drop by 352,500 people this year, a far more pessimistic projection that the August one that expected the country’s population to decrease by 158,000 to see its biggest decline in fourteen years.
Two-Thirds of Russians See US as the Biggest Enemy
Although the Cold War ended three decades ago, the attitude of Russian authorities and citizens remains the same, with the United States still being the country’s number one enemy.
Despite Navalny Case, Germany Defends Nord Stream 2
Germany no longer sustains its decision to pull out of the Nord Stream 2 after the attempted poisoning of Alexey Navalny. Germany’s Foreign Minister Heiko Maas believes the pipeline will be completed–– and so does the German ambassador to Poland.
Russia, Egypt to Hold Joint Drills in the Black Sea
Russia and Egypt are set to hold the Bridge of Friendship 2020 joint military maneuvers in the waters of the Black Sea before the end of this year. This is set to be their first joint military game in the area, a step that confirms Moscow’s ever-closer cooperation with the el-Sisi regime.
Russia Records the Second Wave of Coronavirus
It is the third straight day that Russia has registered over 13,000 new infections and has seen a surge in new fatalities. The country is struggling with the highest number of coronavirus cases since the start of the pandemic.
Dagestan Has A New “General-Governor”
Dagestan, one of Russia’s most volatile republics, has a new acting leader. Yet the replacing of the governor does not mean any tilt in Vladimir Putin’s current policy course in Dagestan.
Warsaw Institute
