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.
Russia's business agenda on 7 October was dominated by the Finance Ministry's windfall tax on miners, rerouted commodity flows and a flat growth outlook from the World Bank.
RSPP head Alexander Shokhin said the compromise reached with the Finance Ministry on the windfall tax is not yet final, and the union wants a consensus before the bill's second reading. In late September the ministry proposed a 30% levy on excess income of certain mining companies caused by higher world prices for solid minerals versus 2025. According to RSPP, the 2027 tax base would be calculated from 2026 prices, which makes the levy retroactive. Foreign investors in Russian mining should treat the final parameters as open until the second reading.
Source: Kommersant, 6 Oct 2026
Hong Kong imported 112.7 tonnes of Russian gold in January-July, more than the 92.1 tonnes for all of last year and far above the 3.3 tonnes in 2021, CNBC reported, citing BullionVault analysis of Hong Kong statistics. Russian metal made up almost 15% of Hong Kong's non-monetary gold imports in that period, against 0.6% in 2021. The trade has shifted from the UK to Hong Kong and mainland China since the 2022 Western bans. Refiners and traders face reputational and compliance exposure on provenance.
Source: Kommersant, 6 Oct 2026
The World Bank left its 2026 GDP growth forecast for Russia at 0.8% (1% in 2025), with 0.7% projected for both 2027 and 2028. The report says high global energy prices give little support because oil output is falling, partly due to refinery disruptions. It also names fading fiscal stimulus, sanctions, labour shortages and weak investment as drags. Expect subdued domestic demand and limited upside in the Russian market.
Source: Interfax, 6 Oct 2026
Interfax sources say the authorities are considering a partial lifting of the October diesel export ban for some producers to avoid oversupply at refineries. The government extended the ban on diesel, marine fuel and gasoils to 31 October. Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak said Russia produces about 80% more diesel than it consumes and that exports could be partly reopened if output piles up. Any relaxation would be selective, so diesel buyers should watch which producers are cleared.
Source: Interfax, 6 Oct 2026
IKAR head Dmitry Rylko said Russian wheat shipments via the Baltic reached about 1.4 million tonnes in September, a monthly record, including nearly 400,000 tonnes sent to other Baltic states' ports. He expects about 1.8 million tonnes via the Baltic in October and total Russian wheat exports close to 3 million tonnes, versus about 2.5 million tonnes in September. Exporters are turning to Baltic and Far Eastern ports and overland routes because of logistics problems in the Azov-Black Sea basin. Grain buyers and freight operators should expect route shifts.
Source: Interfax, 7 Oct 2026