0535GMT//No petrol shortages reported in main Russian cities; Putin urges Russian women to wear traditional tiaras; healthcare budget is cut to pay for more war
NO PETROL SHORTAGES IN MAIN CITIES: Sources in Russia told The Memo that there are no petrol shortages in major cities. Reports have said that Crimea, regions in the Far East and Southern Russia have seen dozens of petrol stations close and refill limits imposed. Some reports have even reported shortages at some petrol stations in Moscow but sources in the Russian capital, St Petersburg and Kazan said that they haven't had any problems filling up their cars. (COMMENT: It's important to keep the scale of the petrol shortages in perspective. The shortages are serious and the Kremlin is reacting but they haven't yet seriously hit Russia's main cities.)
RUSSIA UPGRADES MISSILES: Russia has upgraded its missiles to avoid Ukraine's Patriot Missile defence systems, the FT reported. It said that Patriot missiles shot down 37% of Russia's missiles in August but only 6% in September. Analysts said that rather than maintaining a steady flight trajectory, Russian missiles now dived and weaved, making them harder to hit. (COMMENT: Both Ukraine and Russia have adapted their weapons and tactics throughout the war.)
PUTIN PRIASES TRUMP: Vladimir Putin praised Donald Trump as a "good listener" at his Valdai conference. He also said that if Trump had been president in 2022 instead of Joe Biden, war in Ukraine could have been avoided. Putin used his Valdai question and answer session to describe European leaders as "incompetent" and "warmongers". (COMMENT: These are some of the warmest words that Putin has had for Trump for several weeks and come despite Trump's obvious frustration that progress towards a peace in Ukraine has stalled. In the past week or so, Trump has said that Ukraine can win back "all of its territory" and toyed with giving Ukraine long-distance missiles to fire into Russia. Perhaps praise of Trump by Putin is designed to mollify the US President. The Valdai conference is a major setpiece annual Kremlin propaganda event. It used to be well-attended by Western academics and journalists.)
WEAR TRADITIONAL TIARA TO BEAT THE WEST, SAYS PUTIN: Also at the Valdai conference, Putin urged Russian women to wear ornate folk headresses and tiaras called kokoshniks to show the West the "maturity and strength of Russian society". (COMMENT: Differentiating Russia from the "corrupt and soft" West is an important part of Putin's propaganda programme. Putin now sees women adopting traditional clothes as a differentiator.)
HEALTHCARE CUTS: Russia is cutting spending on healthcare to fund its military next year, analysis has shown. In Russia's 2026 budget, the budget for a programme to upgrade healthcare centres in Russia's regions has been slashed by 65% and a national healthcare project cut by 26%. (COMMENT: Most parts of Russian society will receive less cash next year, except for the army and birthrate boosting programmes.)
CAR SALES FALL: Car sales in Russia were down by 19% for the 12 months to September, the car industry website Avtostat has reported. (COMMENT: The car industry is a bellwether for the Russian economy. This data clearly highlights the problems it is facing. This week AvotVAZ, Russia's biggest carmaker, put its factory staff on four-day weeks.)
QUEUES AT KAZAKHSTAN-RUSSIA BORDER: Thousands of trucks are stuck on the Kazakhstan-Russia border because of tightened customs checks, media has reported. Estimates on the number of stuck trucks travelling into Russia vary from 2,000 to 7,000. The trucks are travelling from China and may be carrying "dual-use" products such as drones and electronics that can be used for both civilian and military purposes. (COMMENTS: It's not entirely clear why customs checks have been increased on this usually porous border. Some reports have said that since the Kazakh Pres. Kassym Jomart Tokayev met with Volodymyr Zelensky on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in September, he has ordered a clampdown on "dual-use" products reaching Russia. This feels unlikley. Other sources said that the holdups are actually with the Russian customs, who want to clamp down on the grey economy. Possibly. The Kremlin has delivered a tough budget and wants to wring as much cash from trade as possible. Putin too, has promised to clamp down on the grey economy. Either way, this is an important border for Russia, which relies on products from China to fuel its economy and, increasingly, its military-industrial complex.)