One of the most shocking and unusual characteristics of the current war has been the widespread military use of prisoners in Russia’s military campaign in Ukraine. Olga Romanova, Executive Director of the Russia Behind Bars Foundation, explains why this has happened, how it relates to Putin's undoing of attempts to reform the Federal Penitentiary Service, as well as to contemporary Russian legal consciousness, in which Putin's will is the law and formal law must adapt to suit it.

Russia’s most innovative and forward-thinking companies, which in the past tended to rely fairly heavily on imports, have been the hardest hit by sanctions. Nonetheless, many of these companies have also been able to adapt fairly well to new circumstances. A survey of businesses conducted by economists from HSE has shown that although two-thirds of Russian enterprises have been affected negatively by sanctions, one in four companies reported both negative and positive consequences.

The most advanced and innovative Russian companies, whose dependence on imports was higher, suffered the most from the sanctions. However, many of them also showed high activity in adapting to new conditions. Although the consequences of sanctions for two-thirds of enterprises were negative, every fourth company noted that they had a mixed (both negative and positive) effect, according to a study conducted by HSE economists based on surveys of enterprises.

The widespread use of prisoners in military operations in Ukraine has become one of the most scandalous and unusual history of the incident of the current war .. Executive Director of the Rus Sitting Foundation Olga Romanova explains why this became possible and how this is associated with the abolished Putin reform of the FSIN, as well as with the reality of modern Russian legal consciousness, in which Putin’s will, while the will of Putin, should be the right to formal law for it adapt.