Today in Russian Business – July 12, 2010

The Moscow Times reports on the rather lackluster performance of Russia’s sixteen special economic zones, which have attracted only $4.7 billion in investment in over four years, a fact which some critics say should be taken as a warning to innovation hub Skolkovo.  Vladimir Putin has apparently cautioned Aeroflot to buy more Russian-manufactured planes.  RenCap has suggested that Russia’s GDP may grow by 3% this year from the same last year as the government increases industrial output.  Russia’s second largest coal producer, Kuzbassrazrezugol, has increased first-quarter profit fourfold from a year earlier.  Russia has apparently dropped to tenth place in a ranking of attractive countries for global retail investors, according to a report by a US consultancy firm A.T. Kearney.