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(Ben) 本记明

@ulyssecolonna.bsky.social
927 followers 678 following 2.2K posts

Creative speller, fanatical aggadist, I dabble in economics. Member @tochnyi.bsky.social

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Reposted by (Ben) 本记明
Nicki Kenyon @nickikenyon.bsky.social · 10h
In this article, I not only review Luke Harding's new book "Betrayal," but I also slip a bit of related reality into it. Many thanks to the @kyivindependent.com for the graphic I so egregiously swiped. irenekenyon.substack.com/p/betrayal-b...
irenekenyon.substack.com
Betrayal
Book review and reality
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Reposted by (Ben) 本记明
leoskyview.bsky.social @leoskyview.bsky.social · 10/10/2026
Please share the fundraiser below (not my post, Constantine's) and if you possibly can, donate. Constantine delivers and the value is incredible. Engineering equipment moves supplies and builds defences, saving lives and expensive other equipment. One of the best deals you can find.
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Reposted by (Ben) 本记明
Janis Kluge @jakluge.de · 09/10/2026
Trump thinks he made a brilliant deal with Putin about diesel exports from Russia. But Russia planned to allow some diesel exports anyway. Putin managed to sell it as a gift to Trump. This is from 3 days ago:
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(Ben) 本记明 @ulyssecolonna.bsky.social · 10/10/2026
Fair points
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Reposted by (Ben) 本记明
Sven-Erik Volberg @volberg.bsky.social · 08/10/2026
The GRU's dud drone: How russian intelligence botched a sabotage plot at Leipzig airport theins.press/en/inv/298011
theins.press
The GRU’s dud drone: How Russian intelligence botched a sabotage plot at Leipzig airport
Following the failed sabotage operation at Germany’s Leipzig/Halle Airport in early August, many media outlets, citing sources in law enforcement, named some…
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Reposted by (Ben) 本记明
Tochnyi @tochnyi.info · 06/10/2026
🎞️| Russia’s out-of-reach Preferential Mortgage [Ep.2] (credit: @delfoo.bsky.social)
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Reposted by (Ben) 本记明
Iikka Korhonen @iikkakorhonen.bsky.social · 05/10/2026
Our latest forecast for #Russia 2026-28 is out! Basically our view is unchanged from the spring: Growth remains anemic, mostly driven by war-related industries. Other sectors stagnate or contract. 1/ @bofit.suomenpankki.fi @suomenpankki.fi www.bofit.fi/en/bofit/new...
bofit.fi
BOFIT Forecast for Russia 2026–2028 / 2
The Bank of Finland Institute for Emerging Economies (BOFIT) is an internationally renowned research institute specialising in emerging economies and global economic developments.
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(Ben) 本记明 @ulyssecolonna.bsky.social · 06/10/2026
I thought that if the impeachment had more than 35 votes the minority leader could ask a trial by combat. And by 40, the president is hanged for three days by hooks in his chest suspended from the ceiling of the Senate, Okipa-ritual style! Rhe US constitution is weird…
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(Ben) 本记明 @ulyssecolonna.bsky.social · 05/10/2026
In the business, it’s called Chekhov gun. The punny dictator will probably end up shooting hilself with it in his bunker.
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Reposted by (Ben) 本记明
Nicki Kenyon @nickikenyon.bsky.social · 05/10/2026
Great reporting and analysis from FT here. Ilan Shor introduced UK national Michael Donald as CEO of VexPay. giftarticle.ft.com/giftarticle/...
giftarticle.ft.com
UK businessman given senior role at group linked to Kremlin money-laundering operation
Moldovan oligarch behind secretive A7 fintech referred to Michael Donald as chief executive of linked payments company VexPay
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(Ben) 本记明 @ulyssecolonna.bsky.social · 05/10/2026
Thee of little faith!
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(Ben) 本记明 @ulyssecolonna.bsky.social · 04/10/2026
Jokes aside, plague is handled in BSL-3s everywhere
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(Ben) 本记明 @ulyssecolonna.bsky.social · 04/10/2026
**strong Russian accenst** Because, little mother, Russian bodies are strong, unlike western ones. We don’t need lab coats or special gloves, we handle Ebola with bear hands and malaria butt naked! In Russia, only gayness virus handled in BSL-4 labs because no known cure!
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(Ben) 本记明 @ulyssecolonna.bsky.social · 04/10/2026
Fair point but comes November and who’s to say which will be the stronger case for impeachment…
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Reposted by (Ben) 本记明
Nicki Kenyon @nickikenyon.bsky.social · 04/10/2026
More details about A7 methodologies. irenekenyon.substack.com/p/a7?r=u6zr2...
irenekenyon.substack.com
A7 Finally Designated
A7 Network is a sanctions evasion methodology
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(Ben) 本记明 @ulyssecolonna.bsky.social · 04/10/2026
One way through which the pain may happen faster is through external founding. Banks lending or markets buying bonds will be a lot less interested by companies nearing a cliff.
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(Ben) 本记明 @ulyssecolonna.bsky.social · 04/10/2026
Don’t tell the Finns that the US deportation police is called ICE, they might adopt it just because of the name.
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(Ben) 本记明 @ulyssecolonna.bsky.social · 04/10/2026
The main issue with pneumonic plague is how fast it spreads. It can pass from human to human through droplets in the air.
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(Ben) 本记明 @ulyssecolonna.bsky.social · 04/10/2026
Not even good blackmail, since when can the US president use tarifs like that? It wouldn’t stand in court.
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Reposted by (Ben) 本记明
Electronic Frontier Foundation @eff.org · 01/10/2026
Today we’re launching Opt Out October, our guide for opting out of certain features and finding alternatives to products made by big tech companies. www.eff.org/deeplinks/2...
eff.org
Happy Opt Out October! Let’s Find Real Alternatives to the Tech Giants
Over the years, the major tech companies have found all sorts of ways to embed themselves into our lives. We often use their software, their AI tools, their social media, and their operating systems
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(Ben) 本记明 @ulyssecolonna.bsky.social · 03/10/2026
Never heard of it
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(Ben) 本记明 @ulyssecolonna.bsky.social · 03/10/2026
The only eyebrow-raising bit is grand-dad’s cesure over the debt and the BCE.
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(Ben) 本记明 @ulyssecolonna.bsky.social · 03/10/2026
Technically the only far left party in my book LFI is not even remotely far left. They’re playing hard ball in negotiations but I don’t think I’ve since much in term of economic policy that wasn’t a throw-away line in any left-of-center party back in 1979.
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(Ben) 本记明 @ulyssecolonna.bsky.social · 03/10/2026
Aaaaaand he got what he wanted…
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(Ben) 本记明 @ulyssecolonna.bsky.social · 03/10/2026
Jospin?
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(Ben) 本记明 @ulyssecolonna.bsky.social · 03/10/2026
Yes
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(Ben) 本记明 @ulyssecolonna.bsky.social · 03/10/2026
The great white hope…
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(Ben) 本记明 @ulyssecolonna.bsky.social · 03/10/2026
So Le Pen was already winning before. Nothing to do with the left or the kiddos. Thx.
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Reposted by (Ben) 本记明
Ukraine War Brief Podcast @ukrainewarpod.bsky.social · 02/10/2026
I cannot stress enough that the banking crisis is here. It’s quietly happening because Russia hides everything. But these numbers tell a very interesting, dark story of the state of Russian banking. I would not want to be VTB bank right now. Too big to fail, but fail it might.
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Reposted by (Ben) 本记明
Ukraine War Brief Podcast @ukrainewarpod.bsky.social · 02/10/2026
ICYMI: Samolet, Russia’s largest developer, defaulted on its bonds for the first time ever on September 29.
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(Ben) 本记明 @ulyssecolonna.bsky.social · 02/10/2026
I’d be surprised if the evidence for that was anything other than pure wishful thinking. Like hearing how the “far left” (what, LO?) has turned millions of southern pensioners into rabid racists is going to be so entertaining .
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(Ben) 本记明 @ulyssecolonna.bsky.social · 02/10/2026
Yeah… sure….
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(Ben) 本记明 @ulyssecolonna.bsky.social · 02/10/2026
By January bread prices skyrocket in North Africa By February, riots in Cairo and Algiers By March, hundreds of thousands try to cross the Mediterranean By April, mass migration is the main subject in European media By May, French elections… Perfect storm.
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(Ben) 本记明 @ulyssecolonna.bsky.social · 01/10/2026
Thank you for the thorough answer. It’s a lot clearer now!
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Reposted by (Ben) 本记明
Yakov Feygin @buddyyakov.bsky.social · 01/10/2026
www.youtube.com/live/drwh_ie...
youtube.com
LIVE: Inside the World of Russian Elites
YouTube video by Carnegie Russia Eurasia Center
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(Ben) 本记明 @ulyssecolonna.bsky.social · 01/10/2026
Thinking that Europe now has a direct leverage on the US midterms is chef 😘 I hope they will make the old man dance for it and finally give him nothing.
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Reposted by (Ben) 本记明
Stanimir Dobrev @delfoo.bsky.social · 01/10/2026
Mongolian authorities seem realistic in their estimates how long fuel deliveries from Russia will be disrupted by Ukrainian drone strikes by saying it could be 2-3 years.
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Reposted by (Ben) 本记明
Martin Sandbu @martinsandbu.ft.com · 01/10/2026
We have forgotten what budgets are for. as.ft.com/r/99bf6735-f...
as.ft.com
We have forgotten what budgets are for
The biggest problem with public finances is when they cease to be tools for governance
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(Ben) 本记明 @ulyssecolonna.bsky.social · 01/10/2026
I don’t have a reference point. Clearly it doesn’t look good but when does “unimpressive” become “worrisome”?
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Reposted by (Ben) 本记明
Half-Brick McCurdy @halfbrickmccurdy.bsky.social · 01/10/2026
Russian mortgages: No relief for housebuilders after demand for new mortgages remained muted in August. Indeed, market rate borrowing fell compared to July, an argument against the proposed introduction of differentiated mortgage subsidies. Despite repeated rate cuts this year, August also saw a
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(Ben) 本记明 @ulyssecolonna.bsky.social · 01/10/2026
Wow this is massive. Not sure of what it implies though. My knee-jerk take is that it reflects lowering export more than anything else. But then again maybe not.
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(Ben) 本记明 @ulyssecolonna.bsky.social · 26/09/2026
There’s breaking the thermometer and then there is arresting the thermometer on drug charges (when it’s not child pornography)
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Reposted by (Ben) 本记明
András Tóth-Czifra @minczifra.bsky.social · 25/09/2026
Kynev is one of the foremost experts on regional politics in Russia and has been publishing analysis from inside the country for the past years. Solidarity
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Reposted by (Ben) 本记明
Agathe Demarais @agathedemarais.com · 25/09/2026
Russia is expanding uranium mining operations • Russia produced 5% of global uranium output domestically in 2024; share rises to 25% when accounting for Russian overseas mines • Rosatom aims at controlling entire supply chain, from mining uranium to running nuclear plants www.ft.com/content/b711...
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(Ben) 本记明 @ulyssecolonna.bsky.social · 23/09/2026
That’s not the only issue. Lack of or the high price of gasoline plus other issues (limited loans etc) have prevented Russian farmers from sowing and even more so harvesting.
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Reposted by (Ben) 本记明
Stanimir Dobrev @delfoo.bsky.social · 23/09/2026
I did an analysis of Russian and Ukrainian grain export data for the 2026-2027 season. When comparing to the prior 2025-2026 grain export season Ukraine's grain exports decreased noticeably but Russian grain exports outright collapsed.
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Stanimir Dobrev @delfoo.bsky.social · 22/09/2026
Comparison of grain exports in September by Ukraine and Russia rounded to the nearest 1000 tons. Russian data is for September 1st to 20th, Ukrainian is for September 1st to the 18th.
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(Ben) 本记明 @ulyssecolonna.bsky.social · 22/09/2026
Apps are so good at this. Everyone naturally tends to believe they have a a vicarious relationship with people they see on their phones. But now she’s asking me to meet her family! Guys I think she’s the one!!!
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Reposted by (Ben) 本记明
Eye on the Arctic - Regard sur l'Arctique @eyeonthearctic.bsky.social · 21/09/2026
Russia adapts fertilizer, coal terminals in Baltic, Arctic ports to export Black Sea grain via @cbcnews www.rcinet.ca/eye-on-the-a...
rcinet.ca
Russia adapts fertilizer, coal terminals in Baltic, Arctic ports to export Black Sea grain
By Gleb Stolyarov and Olga Popova Russian companies have been re-purposing fertilizer, coal, and other cargo terminals at Russia's Baltic and Arctic ports - including Ust-Luga and Murmansk - to handl...
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Reposted by (Ben) 本记明
Half-Brick McCurdy @halfbrickmccurdy.bsky.social · 21/09/2026
Despite repeated rate cuts, the credit quality of MKB’s corporate loan book * continued to deteriorate in Q2 2026. Distressed assets recorded in the Bank's quarterly IFRS accounts increased from 23% in March to 28% in June.
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