The recent murder of Russian-born satirist Simon Skrepetski in Biaław Podlaska, Poland, suggests that the Russian authorities' repression of dissidents extends beyond its borders and throughout Europe. He, who criticized President Putin and his ally Belarusian President Lukashenko with sharp satire, fled to Poland to escape political persecution in Russia, but ultimately met a tragic end in the land of the free. According to witnesses and local investigative authorities, the suspects committed the crime in a very planned and brutal manner, including killing the victim even after he had fallen. Polish police are currently arresting the Belarusian suspects and tracking down their accomplices, which strongly supports the possibility that this incident has an organized motive beyond simple personal grudges.

In contrast to these assassinations taking place outside the battlefield, Russia inside the front lines is suffering from a severe troop shortage and is depleting its national capabilities. The Russian government is offering unconventional carrots such as enlistment bonuses exceeding 100 million won and large amounts of debt forgiveness to attract its men to the battlefield, but the reality is falling far short of expectations. Due to the prolongation of the war, the attractiveness of financial incentives has halved, and as the number of people escaping abroad to avoid conscription increases, Russian society is experiencing the double whammy of a serious labor shortage and population decline. Experts believe that these difficulties in recruiting troops are ultimately eroding Russia's economic stamina, and that Russia is in a fundamental dilemma of having to decide whether to scale back its future war goals or further strengthen social control.

Russia's isolation is also visible through the West's strong economic sanctions. Recently, Canada took advantage of the G7 summit to implement large-scale new sanctions targeting Russia's energy revenue sources, defense industry, and the spread of disinformation justifying war. This is a multifaceted measure aimed at cutting off the financial resources that enable Russia to continue the war and increasing the level of international pressure to bring it to the negotiating table. Russia is also fighting back by banning Canadians from entering the country, but its isolation from the international community is deepening by the day. This economic isolation and pressure, combined with the limitations of the production capacity of Russia's military factories, is causing a vicious cycle in which the pressure on Russia's household economy and rising prices increases as the war continues.

Meanwhile, despite these external tensions, the movements of companies trying to target the Russian market still take on complex aspects. The move of Korean companies such as Humedics to strengthen their market presence in Russia by registering patents for composite filler technology proves that Russia is still a strategic location with high demand in the beauty and cosmetics market. Although war and political uncertainty still exist, securing local patents and strengthening marketing are realistic options that companies cannot afford to give up on the huge Eurasian market. However, as these economic exchanges can also face uncertainty at any time amidst the huge flow of Western sanctions, business related to Russia requires more sophisticated strategies and risk management than ever before.