What Kommersant, RBC, Vedomosti, Interfax and Forbes Russia report — selected and summarized in English every morning, for readers who don't read Russian. Analysis-grade sourcing, no wire rehash. Data context in the Russia Terminal. Regional wires: Central Asia · Caucasus.
Russian oil flows keep shifting east as China nearly doubles its purchases, the ruble breaks 84 to the dollar for the first time since March, and central bank reserves jump to a record $740 billion.
China raised its purchases of Russian oil by 92% year-over-year to 7.04 million tons in January–June, according to an Argus report cited by Kommersant. India remains the largest buyer of Urals and other Russian grades at 44.4 million tons, up 3 million tons, though its share of shipments fell from 76% to 70%; exports to Mediterranean and Black Sea ports dropped 14.4%, driven by a 45.4% fall in deliveries to Turkey. The reshuffle comes as the US Senate approved tariffs of up to 100% on the five largest buyers of Russian oil and gas, a measure the House takes up this autumn — a direct compliance risk for traders and shippers serving the China and India routes.
Source: Forbes Russia, 14 Aug 2026
The over-the-counter dollar rate rose 2.3% on August 13 to a peak of 84.60 rubles, its first move above 84 since March 20; the euro traded at 96.91 rubles. Analysts at T-Investments point to weaker export revenue — June wheat shipments fell to 1.6 million tons, a nine-year low — alongside imports that reached $28.7 billion in May, up 15% year-over-year, and Finance Ministry FX and gold purchases raised 20% from August 7 to 6.5 billion rubles (roughly $77 million) daily. T-Investments sees the dollar at around 84.5 rubles by year-end, with Russian oil at $52–55 per barrel in the second half — a weaker ruble that eases budget pressure but raises costs for import-dependent businesses.
Source: Forbes Russia, 13 Aug 2026
Russia's international reserves stood at $740 billion on August 7, up from $720.3 billion on July 31, the Bank of Russia reported. The reserves comprise foreign currency assets, monetary gold, SDRs and the country's IMF reserve position. The weekly gain of $19.7 billion underscores how sanctions have not prevented the central bank from accumulating buffers — a key factor behind Moscow's capacity to finance the budget deficit and defend the currency.
Source: Interfax, 13 Aug 2026
India imported $106 million of rough diamonds directly from Russia in January–June, down 62% from $281 million a year earlier, per Indian Ministry of Commerce and Industry data. Total Indian diamond imports fell 16% to $7.1 billion, with the UAE the largest supplier at $3.17 billion and Hong Kong up 48% to $1.44 billion — a shift consistent with Russian stones rerouting through intermediary hubs since G7 sanctions on Russian diamonds took effect. India cuts roughly nine in ten of the world's polished diamonds, so the redirection of its supply chains sets the pattern for the global trade.
Source: Interfax, 14 Aug 2026
Global venture investment reached $560.3 billion in the first half of 2026 — more than in any full year since 2022, according to KPMG Private Enterprise. Russian startup funding moved the opposite way, falling 48% year-over-year to 4.6 billion rubles (roughly $55 million), the Moscow Venture Fund reports, with artificial intelligence the dominant theme in both markets. The gap illustrates Russia's isolation from international capital: the country's entire venture market is now smaller than a single mid-sized Western AI round.
Source: Kommersant, 13 Aug 2026