(more…)

by John Helmer - Thursday, May 6th, 2010
No Comments »

By John Helmer in Moscow

The Russian Navy announced Thursday morning that its anti-submarine destroyer Marshal Shaposhnikov had successfully liberated the Novoship oil tanker, Moscow University; released its 23-man crew unharmed;and killed or captured the Somali pirates who had boarded the vessel yesterday 800 kms off the coast of Somalia. The tanker had been under way with a cargo of crude bound for China. The 86,000-tonnes of oil on board remains secure, without fire or spill.

(more…)

by John Helmer - Thursday, May 6th, 2010
No Comments »

By John Helmer in Moscow

The Lithuanians tried it more than a decade ago. The Belarussians are trying it again – noone in Moscow believes it can be done. In fact, the Russians say it’s childish to try. When the Russian noose goes round your neck, they say, you either beg forgiveness, or you choke to death. If the President of Belarus Alexander Lukashenko (left bubble) weren’t regarded more negatively than the Russian leadership in the Anglo-American press, there might be more geopolitical interest in what is happening – or more curiosity about who gains commercially.
(more…)

by John Helmer - Wednesday, May 5th, 2010
No Comments »

The picture of an unknown woman has been included by the Moscow police in their evidence of the plan targeting John Helmer, which was carried out last December by Alfa Inform, a Moscow security company working for United Company Rusal.

The name of Rusal, identified as the client on the title page of the Alfa Inform document found by the police, has vanished. A new title page appears in the evidence on the basis of which the Moscow police have recommended closing their criminal investigation.
(more…)

by John Helmer - Monday, May 3rd, 2010
No Comments »

By John Helmer in Moscow

King Canute inherited his throne in Scandinavia from a powerful father. He is well thought of for having invaded northwestern England twice in the 11th century, and been in charge there for a relatively peaceful seven years. But if Canute’s reputation is safe onshore, it’s his offshore move that has gone down in history with ambiguous effect.
(more…)

by John Helmer - Monday, May 3rd, 2010
No Comments »

by John Helmer - Friday, April 30th, 2010
No Comments »

By John Helmer in Moscow

The first major Russian corporation to attempt to issue shares on the London Stock Exchange since the 2008 crisis has now failed, after the UK Financial Services Authority (FSA) opened an investigation into Dmitry Mazepin’s fertilizer holding Uralchem.

Undisclosed shareholders; a mysterious $200 million share transaction involving insiders; and inadequate financial disclosure by the company and its auditor, are among the problems newly revealed to the FSA in a 59-page complaint lodged by the Brown Rudnick law firm on April 26.
(more…)

by John Helmer - Friday, April 30th, 2010
No Comments »

By John Helmer in Moscow

Russia’s Prime Minister Vladimir Putin has announced through the Interfax wire service that as part of the improving relationship between his government and that of the newly elected Ukrainian President, Victor Yanukovich, the Russian government is prepared to accept a current import quota for Ukrainian large diameter pipes (LDP) of up to 260,000 tonnes. LDP is required for Russia’s major oil and gas pipeline projects being built by Transneft, Stroitransgas, and the oil companies.
(more…)

by Editor - Wednesday, April 28th, 2010
No Comments »

By John Helmer in Moscow

If you can peer through the volcanic dust, you can tell it’s spring again for the world’s farmers and global feed and food grain production. So naturally the Russian fertilizer companies, which have been one-man bands until now, are thinking of coming back to the stock markets. The first to try out is Uralchem, owned by Dmitry Mazepin, which issued its prospectus for a London Stock Exchange share sale on April 19.

A 40% bloc of shares is for sale to raise between $496 million and $642 million, according to Uralchem’s target. But as one-man bands go, mark analysts who have read the offer document, it’s out of tune with the market realities.
(more…)

by Editor - Sunday, April 25th, 2010
No Comments »

By John Helmer in Moscow

The Evraz Group, Russia’s biggest steelmaker, has announced that it has started construction of a new railroad to serve the group’s iron-ore mine and combine, Sukha Balka at Dniepropetrovsk in the Ukraine.

An official statement by Evraz spokesman Alexei Agureyev in Moscow explains that the new line may take six months to complete, and that the effort and expense have been forced on Evraz, owned by Roman Abramovich and Alexander Abramov, by the refusal of the competing iron-ore mine, Krivoy Rog Iron-Ore Combine (KZhRK), owned by Igor Kolomoisky, to allow Sukha Balka to use the same track. Agureyev had also announced earlier that the rail blockade was forcing Sukha Balka to suspend production. Last year, according to the published data, Sukha Balka produced 1.7 million tonnes of iron-ore, down 38% on the 2008 production level, and contributing to a loss of 55.6 million hryvnia ($6.2 million). Sukha Balka and KZhRK produce iron-ore concentrate of similar quality, and sell into the same markets.
(more…)

by Editor - Friday, April 23rd, 2010
No Comments »