On July 24, Prime Minister Vladimir Putin initiated the first act by fiercely attacking, without evidence, the timid owner of the giant coal and steel company Mechel for price-gouging and tax evasion. In three days, Mechel’s shares lost half their value, triggering the Russian stock market’s decline.
7月24日，总理普京拉开了第一幕。他在毫无证据的情况下，以价格欺诈和逃税为由对巨型煤钢公司Mechel怯懦的所有人发动了猛烈的攻击。在三天之内，Mechel的相关股值蒸发了一半，从了触发了俄罗斯股市的下跌。