14.08.2026

RUSSIAN ASSETS OF DUTCH COMPANY AKZO NOBEL PLACED UNDER TEMPORARY ADMINISTRATION

Temporary administration has been introduced by JSC Razvitie Stroitelnykh Aktivov with respect to CJSC Akzo Nobel Decor, LLC Akzo Nobel Coatings and LLC Akzo Nobel Lakokraska.

13.08.2026

RULES FOR MARGIN TRADING IN CRYPTOCURRENCIES AND DIGITAL RIGHTS TO BE ESTABLISHED

The Bank of Russia will establish requirements under which brokers may accept cryptocurrencies and digital rights as collateral for margin positions, while their clients may conduct short sales.

Both qualified and non-qualified investors will be entitled to enter into margin transactions. For non-qualified investors, transactions involving cryptocurrencies will be subject to established limits.

The procedure for calculating risk coverage ratios used by brokers to monitor leveraged transactions will be adjusted.

12.08.2026

VISA-FREE ENTRY TO RUSSIA FOR CHINESE NATIONALS EXTENDED

Through December 31, 2027 (inclusive), Chinese citizens, on the basis of reciprocity, may continue to enter Russia without visas using their ordinary passports for stays of up to 30 days for visits to friends or relatives or business purposes, as tourists, or to participate in scientific, cultural, socio-political, economic or sporting events. The visa-free regime also applies to transit through Russia.

11.08.2026

PROCEDURE FOR APPROVING TRANSACTIONS OF STRATEGIC COMPANIES HAS BEEN CLARIFIED

Previously, the Law on the implementation of foreign investments in business entities of strategic importance for ensuring national defence and state security was extended to non-profit organisations controlled by foreign investors or groups of persons carrying out at least one type of activity of strategic importance. Special control has been introduced regarding the use of subsoil areas that do not have federal status, but contain significant mineral reserves. In this regard, the rules for approving transactions and establishing control of foreign investors over strategic business entities have been adjusted.

10.08.2026

FROM 2027, INFORMATION ABOUT CHILDREN WILL NO LONGER BE INCLUDED INTO FOREIGN PASSPORTS

The details intended for entering records about children are excluded from the forms of international passports, as well as diplomatic and service passports, including those containing electronic data carriers (see also the news from May 9, 2026).

In addition, the “Personal No.” and “Record Entry” details have been removed, and changes have been made to the format of the machine-readable code indicating the passport type.

The Decision will enter into force on January 1, 2027. It is stipulated that forms produced before this date will be used to issue passports until they are used up. Such passports will be valid until their expiration date.

07.08.2026

KEY RATE REDUCED TO 14% PER ANNUM

On July 24, 2026, the Bank of Russia decided to reduce the key rate by 25 basis points to 14% per annum.

The Bank of Russia will make further decisions on the key rate depending on inflation trends, inflation expectations, and its assessment of risks arising from domestic and external conditions. The baseline scenario assumes an average key rate of 14.5 - 14.6% per annum in 2026 and 10.5 - 12.5% per annum in 2027. According to the Bank of Russia's forecast, annual inflation will reach 6 - 7% in 2026 due to the significant increase in fuel prices.

06.08.2026

DEVELOPMENT OF ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE TECHNOLOGIES IS REGULATED AT THE LEGISLATIVE LEVEL

The Law on supporting the development of artificial intelligence technologies has been adopted.

It is envisaged to ensure the development of sovereign and national large fundamental AI models. Only Russian legal entities can be developers of both models. All data must be stored exclusively within Russia.

A risk-based approach to regulating the use of large fundamental AI models has been introduced. It is envisaged that information material created using AI will be labelled. Requirements for the use of results of intellectual activity when using AI have been established.

05.08.2026

AMENDMENTS TO PBU 18/02 ARE PROPOSED

A draft Order of the Ministry of Finance of Russia On Amendments to Accounting Regulation (Standard) PBU 18/02 "Accounting for Corporate Income Tax Settlements", approved by Order of the Ministry of Finance of the Russian Federation No. 114n of November 19, 2002, has been published on the draft regulatory legal acts portal (the document will shortly be made available in the GARANT system).

The draft provides for making amendments to PBU 18/02 specifying the items of an organisation's accounting (financial) statements to which differences arising from changes in the corporate income tax rate in respect of transactions whose results are not recognised in accounting profit (loss) are to be attributed.

04.08.2026

INVESTMENTS INSTEAD OF FINES: AMENDMENTS TO THE CODE OF ADMINISTRATIVE OFFENCES OF THE RUSSIAN FEDERATION EXEMPT FROM LIABILITY THOSE WHO FULFILLED AN AGREEMENT TO ELIMINATE VIOLATIONS

Amendments have been made to the Code of Administrative Offences of the Russian Federation, requiring supervisory authorities and courts to exempt from administrative liability those individuals against whom administrative proceedings have been initiated if:

- the administrative offence was expressed in the violation of mandatory requirements,

- the person has entered into an agreement with the supervisory authority on the proper elimination of the violations of mandatory requirements committed by him/her under a special procedure (it is important that the petition for the conclusion of such an agreement must be submitted before the day the materials of the administrative case are sent to the judge or to the body/official who is considering the case and has the right to impose an administrative penalty),

- and then executed this agreement in full.

In order for the possibility of punishment to be preserved for the duration of the agreement's execution, the statute of limitations for bringing to liability is suspended from the date the agreement enters into force. And the execution of the agreement is the reason for the mandatory termination of proceedings in the case of an administrative offence no later than five days after the date of the decision to recognise the agreement as executed.

03.08.2026

MINISTRY OF FINANCE ISSUES NEW CLARIFICATIONS CONCERNING THE APPLICABILITY OF PRESIDENTIAL DECREE NO. 618 GOVERNING THE SPECIAL PROCEDURE FOR TRANSACTIONS WITH INTERESTS IN RUSSIAN LLCS

Persons from unfriendly states may carry out transactions involving interests in Russian limited liability companies only on the basis of permits issued by the Government Commission for Control over Foreign Investments.

The exceptions include the establishment, modification or termination of rights enabling a person to determine the conditions governing the management of a limited liability company and (or) the conditions under which it carries on entrepreneurial activities, where such rights arise as a result of a resolution adopted by the general meeting of participants approving amendments to the company's charter providing for the establishment of management bodies, the determination (modification) of their powers and (or) the termination of their powers.

Another exception concerns changes in a participant's interest resulting from the cancellation of an undistributed or unsold interest or part of an interest within the prescribed period and the corresponding reduction of the authorised capital by the nominal value of that interest or part thereof.

31.07.2026

MAINTAINING A REGISTER OF INSTALLMENT SERVICE OPERATORS

The Central Bank of the Russian Federation (Bank of Russia) has established rules for deciding on the exclusion from the registry of installment service operators of information regarding a legal entity's right to carry out relevant activities.

30.07.2026

CANCELLATION OF PENALTIES FOR THE LATE FILING OF TAX RETURNS: AMENDMENTS TO THE CODE OF ADMINISTRATIVE OFFENCES OF THE RUSSIAN FEDERATION

At the end of June, 2026, amendments were introduced to the Tax Code of the Russian Federation excluding penalties for taxpayers for failure to file returns in the absence of damage to the budgets of the Russian budget system.

Now, amendments to the Code of Administrative Offences of the Russian Federation have been signed, eliminating administrative liability for officials for late filing of tax returns (calculations of insurance premiums).

29.07.2026

LEGISLATIVE CONSOLIDATION OF CYBERSECURITY REQUIREMENTS

Amendments have been made to the Law on the Fundamentals of the System for the Prevention of Offences.

Cybersecurity in the field of computer information and information and communication technologies has been officially classified as a direction of preventive measures.

28.07.2026

SUPREME COURT HAS PREPARED ANOTHER REVIEW OF JUDICIAL PRACTICE

The review formulates legal positions on exercising and enjoying property rights, the fulfilment of contractual obligations, the protection of social and labour rights, the application of procedural norms, corporate law provisions, the recognition of transactions as invalid, the handling of municipal solid waste, and the protection of personal data. Issues of intellectual property, taxation, classification of certain crimes, etc. are touched upon. In particular, the following is stated.

When considering a claim for the demolition of an unauthorised building, the number of storeys in a residential building should be determined by the number of above-ground floors. When a building is located on a slope, the first above-ground floor should be determined taking into account the lower planning mark of the ground. If individual parts of a residential building have a different number of above-ground floors, then its number of floors is determined by the largest number of floors in the building.

The invalidity of an agreement between the insurer and the injured party on the settlement of an insured event shall not be grounds for recognising the insurance compensation paid under such an agreement as unjust enrichment.

When determining the right to receive a monthly benefit in connection with the birth and upbringing of a child, the applicant's spouse may be considered a member of his or her family only from the date of state registration of their marriage. The income of this spouse can be taken into account when calculating the average per capita family income only from this date.

From the date of recognition of a citizen as bankrupt, registration of the transfer of exclusive rights to a trademark in the absence of an application from the financial manager is not permitted.

The calculation method for determining income tax cannot be used if the taxpayer's actions are aimed at laundering funds transferred to "technical" companies based on false documents.

27.07.2026

DRIVING RENTED BUGGIES AND ATVS WITH STANDARD DRIVER’S LICENCES

Amendments have been introduced to the Law on Road Traffic Safety and the Law on Self-Propelled Vehicles.

The amendments stipulate that the right to operate self-propelled vehicles of category "AII" can now be confirmed not only by a special tractor-driver certificate but also by standard driver’s licenses with categories "B," "C," or "D."

This applies to off-road motor vehicles with a permissible maximum weight of up to 3,500 kg, and no more than 8 passenger seats (e.g., buggies, ATVs, etc.).

24.07.2026

THE FEDERAL ACCOUNTING STANDARD FOR EXPENSES HAS BEEN ESTABLISHED

FSBU 10/2026 "Expenses" has been approved. It will be applied starting from the reporting period of 2027 and will replace PBU 10/99 “Expenses of an Organisation”. The standard includes requirements for the compilation of accounting information on expenses of economic entities (except for state-funded organisations). Non-profit organisations, with the exception of state-funded organisations, must compile information on expenses from entrepreneurial and other activities in accounting in accordance with the provisions of the standard.

23.07.2026

NEW ANTI-CYBER FRAUD MEASURES APPROVED

A second package of measures aimed at combating cyber fraud has been enacted. The new measures include the following:

- introducing the option for individuals to impose a self-restriction on incoming international calls;

- amending the Law on Communications to allow individual subscribers to notify their telecommunications operator that the subscriber number assigned to them has been transferred for use by their minor child;

- requiring mobile network operators to submit to the State Information System for Countering Offences Committed Using Information and Communication Technologies (GIS KSIM) information on subscriber numbers assigned to virtual private branch exchanges and the corresponding network addresses. The information will be used to monitor operators' compliance with their obligation to verify the accuracy of subscriber information and the information relating to users of communications services provided to corporate subscribers and individual entrepreneurs;

- establishing a general limit on the number of payment cards that a money transfer service provider may issue to an individual customer, with the aggregate limit set at 20 payment cards per individual.

22.07.2026

AN EXPERIMENT HAS BEGUN ON REGISTRATION OF SNILS (INDIVIDUAL INSURANCE ACCOUNT NUMBER), ISSUANCE OF CERTIFIED CERTIFICATES OF ELECTRONIC SIGNATURE VERIFICATION KEYS AND PROVISION OF PUBLIC SERVICES TO CITIZENS OF THE RUSSIAN FEDERATION ABROAD

From July 1, 2026 to December 31, 2027, an experiment will be conducted to implement the possibility of registering Russian citizens in the individual (personalised) record-keeping system, obtaining certified certificates of electronic signature verification keys by Russian citizens outside Russia, and providing them with public and other services.

The experiment is being conducted in 12 countries (Armenia, Vietnam, India, Indonesia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, China, Malaysia, the UAE, Serbia, Turkey and Uzbekistan).

21.07.2026

EAEU TECHNICAL REGULATIONS ON THE SAFETY OF ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES - ENTRY INTO FORCE POSTPONED UNTIL JANUARY 1, 2027

The entry into force of the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU) Technical Regulation on the Safety of Alcoholic Beverages, originally scheduled for 1 July 2026, has been postponed until 1 January 2027.

The Regulation establishes:

- requirements for alcoholic beverages placed on the market in the EAEU member states;

- related requirements governing the production, storage, transportation, distribution and disposal of such products; and

- packaging and labelling requirements intended to facilitate the free movement of alcoholic beverages within the EAEU.

The Regulations shall not apply to alcoholic beverages transported in transit through the EAEU; products manufactured for scientific purposes; or products containing ethyl alcohol that are included into a special exemption list (such as confectionery, kvass, fermented dairy products, beer with an alcohol content not exceeding 0.5%, etc.)

20.07.2026

THE TRANSFER OF HUMAN GENETIC DATA OUTSIDE THE RUSSIAN FEDERATION HAS BEEN REGULATED

Previously, the transfer of human genetic data abroad was restricted. It is only possible for the purpose of providing medical care to a specific patient, developing and manufacturing medicinal products and biomedical cell products for the patient, as well as within the framework of international cooperation. The Procedure has been approved.

To transfer genetic data outside the Russian Federation (with the exception of certain cases), permission from an interdepartmental commission is required. The Regulations regarding it have been approved.