By John Helmer in Moscow Despite a blackout of news from Archangel Diamond Corporation (AAD:CN), the Canadian mining junior will seek US court orders to oblige two key Russian executives to give testimony on oath in ADC’s claim that it has been unlawfully deprived of its stake in the multi-billion dollar Grib diamond pipe, in […]

by John Helmer - Wednesday, March 11th, 2009
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By John Helmer in Moscow On February 24, at the headquarters of Russia’s state media, Prime Minister Vladimir Putin visited the offices of Russia Today, an English-language cable and satellite broadcaster. He was escorted by Svetlana Mironyuk, the head of the Russian News and Information Agency (RIA-Novosti), an administrative holding for state media; in the […]

by John Helmer - Tuesday, March 10th, 2009
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by John Helmer - Thursday, March 5th, 2009
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By John Helmer in Moscow The only internationally listed Russian port company is turning out to be one of the stable revenue survivors in the shipping, trading, container, and currency storms now blowing havoc across the Black Sea. But don’t pay attention to the stock markets, the company management and Russian maritime analysts warn. Shares […]

by John Helmer - Thursday, March 5th, 2009
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By John Helmer in Moscow The Belarusian Potash Company (BPC), the trader for Uralkali and Belaruskali, has announced it will offer a 25% discount off the spot price of potash on the Brazilian market from $1,000/tonne to $750-$765/tonne (including cost and freight, CFR). The offer is good from this month to end-May. Brazil is one […]

by John Helmer - Thursday, March 5th, 2009
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By John Helmer in Moscow Russian steel proprietors are showing their anger at negative market reports, and share price cuts, following recent disclosure of their heavy investment spending on North American assets. But there has never been a time when the future growth and profitability of Russian steelmaking has depended less on the United States […]

by John Helmer - Thursday, March 5th, 2009
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By John Helmer in Moscow More than one worker in ten in the Russian mining and metals sector is currently out of work, or facing company-ordered reductions of work time or pay, or both. The statistics are being gathered by the Russian Mining and Metallurgical Trade Union, which has been monitoring job and pay conditions […]

by John Helmer - Wednesday, March 4th, 2009
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By John Helmer in Moscow Sergei Vybornov, the chief executive officer of Alrosa for the past two years, is mobilizing federal government and industry support in Moscow to oppose a bid by Sakha President, Vyacheslav Shtirov, to replace him, and take over the top post at Alrosa. Shtirov made his bid at a meeting with […]

by John Helmer - Tuesday, March 3rd, 2009
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By John Helmer in Moscow Layoffs of between 2,000 and 4,000 workers on the payrolls of Evraz steelmills and mines in Russia are a violation of the agreement Evraz signed with worker and regional representatives in November, a union leader told CRU Steel News today. Lyudmila Zavzyalova, secretary of the Nizhny Tagil municipal authority, in […]

by John Helmer - Monday, March 2nd, 2009
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By John Helmer in Moscow Moscow has been having much the same week for the past four months – everyone down at the pier tossing streamers, and waving goodbye, as the flagship investment funds toot their horns and pull away, to sail swiftly over the horizon. It’s cold comfort to the flag-wavers of the Moscow […]

by John Helmer - Friday, February 27th, 2009
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