It’s been a rough year for the Russo-British Chamber of Commerce (RBCC). For a group “acting as the bridge between British and Russian business” the, erm, invasion of Ukraine has presented its problems. When the tanks first rolled in, the RBCC’s board of directors announced they were “cancell[ing] most events planned” and scaling things back. Most. Not all…

It turns out this time next week they’ll be back on the booze again, continuing their “informal tradition” of clinking glasses over the previous year’s successes in bringing Britain and Russia closer together. Unfortunately it looks like celebrations will be muted this year – “this will be of necessity a low key affair” – although they won’t let that get in the way of a good time…

“We do not wish to attract outside attention to the event”. Of course not, Ivan…