Stories from Russia

Advertising placements on the Telegram platform increased nearly 15 times during the first quarter, reaching approximately 100,000 placements. Despite this growth, analysts predict the messenger may only capture about 5% of the market by the end of the year.

The average salary in Moscow has exceeded 173,000 rubles, according to Konstantin Krokhin, a member of the Housing and Communal Services Committee of the Russian Chamber of Commerce and Industry. Yulia Poletaeva, head of the RVB growth platform, provided details regarding the economic data. The information was presented during the 'Strictly Business' program. The report noted that these figures reflect trends observed in large cities.

The Russian Ministry of Defense has opened a hotline for citizens to report rights violations regarding recruitment into unmanned systems troops. This follows reports concerning the mandatory enrollment of university students into these units.

Russian authorities allocated radio frequency bands for satellite communication systems in late March. The allocation covers smartphones, tablets, and internet-of-things sensors.

Dynamo Moscow and Lokomotiv Moscow played to a 1-1 draw in the Moscow Derby during the 28th round of the Russian Premier League. The match took place at the RZD Arena. Dynamo is scheduled to host Baltika Kaliningrad on May 10. Dynamo will also play at home against Krasnodar on May 11. Artem Karpukas scored for Lokomotiv after halftime, responding to Nicolas Marichal's goal in the first half. Gerzino NMS and Aleksey Batrokov will miss the game due to accumulated yellow cards from the match against Dynamo Moscow. Two other players left the previous game due to injuries: Cesar Montes in the first half and another player at the end of the match. In a separate match, Samara conceded first after a penalty by Fernando Constanza for a foul on Sergey Babkin. Ruslan Litvinov hit the post for the visiting team.

Bitcoin price broke the $70,000 mark for the first time since the beginning of the year. VTB Group head called for accelerated legalization of the cryptocurrency market in Russia, though Central Bank Governor Elvira Nabiullina did not support using cryptocurrency for payments. This price increase is being felt at service stations across the Greater Montreal area as well. The report follows discussions regarding government negotiations and regional economic rebuilding. The development follows recent negotiations involving federal officials including Dominique Leblanc and Chrystia Freeland.

Russia stated its readiness to support a diplomatic process aimed at establishing long-term peace in the Middle East. This position was released by the Russian Foreign Ministry following telephone discussions between Sergey Lavrov and Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi. The talks, held on Smolenskaya Square, also addressed regional stabilization prospects. Russia expressed support for ongoing mediation efforts regarding the Middle East situation. Russian and Iranian foreign ministers discussed the Iranian nuclear issue and the passage of Russian cargo vessels through the Strait of Hormuz. During discussions at Smolenskaya Square, officials discussed prospects for stabilization. The two officials exchanged views on achieving a comprehensive cessation of military conflicts and stabilizing the regional political and military landscape.

Retail sales of shashlik (kebab) in Russia fell by 10 percent in April compared to the previous year. The decline is attributed to cold weather and reduced consumer activity. This represents a sharp contrast to the spring of 2025, when sales growth reached 30 percent. Business owners may face losses if demand does not recover during the May holidays. The source noted that Rosstat does not publish detailed statistics to verify Bloomberg data regarding production increases.

A Russian production of the series Very Strange Cases is scheduled for premiere in early December. The cast includes Philip Kirkorov, Timur Batrudinov, and Andrey Gaidulyan. The plot follows characters pursuing a villain into his kingdom.

The Moscow Exchange aims to begin cryptocurrency operations starting in 2027. This follows calls from Kostin to accelerate the legalization of the cryptocurrency market in Russia.