Foreign-Denominated Mortgage Holders Protest At Russian Banks
By RFE/RL's Russian Service
Russians with mortgages denominated in a foreign currency are continuing to protest at their banks to demand the loans be restructured following the collapse of Russia's ruble currency.
Dozens of mortgage holders on January 28 gathered at several banks in Moscow and St. Petersburg, repeating the kind of protests staged at Russian banks in recent days.
At some demonstrations, mortgage holders have called for the return to Ukraine of the Russian-annexed region of Crimea -- shouting "We can't afford it."
Russia's ruble currency has been hit hard by falling global oil prices and international sanctions imposed against Russia in response to the Kremlin's annexation of Crimea and Moscow's support for pro-Russian separatists in eastern Ukraine.
That has made the cost of repaying foreign-denominated loans skyrocket.
Russia's currency fell on foreign exchange markets on January 21 to more than 85 rubles for one U.S. dollar before clawing back to about 76 rubles per dollar on January 28.
With reporting by AP
This has just been issued by RFE/RL's news desk:
Ukraine's Central Bank Lowers Its 2016 Growth Forecast
Ukraine's central bank has more than halved its 2016 growth forecast as the cash-strapped country battles crises ranging from a fall in commodity prices to a new trade embargo by Russia.
The National Bank of Ukraine said on January 28 that several unfavorable factors beyond the country's control forced the downward revision of its growth forecast from 2.4 percent to 1.1 percent.
The central bank had made the 2.4 percent growth prediction in late November.
Earlier in January, Moscow expanded its embargo on Ukrainian products and restricted their movement across its territory to other markets in response to Kyiv's decision to approve a free-trade and political association pact with the European Union.
Russia and Ukraine have been at odds over the Kremlin’s annexation of Crimea from Ukraine in 2014 and Moscow’s support of pro-Russian separatists in eastern Ukraine.
Based on reporting by AFP and UNIAN
Here is today's map of the latest situation in the Donbas combat zone, courtesy of the Ukrainian Defense Ministry (CLICK IMAGE TO ENLARGE):
