In a sign that the Russian economy might in fact be worth fresh investment, auto maker Toyota has decided to build a plant in St. Petersburg. Toyota's first car-making enterprise in Russia will produce about 50,000 Camrys and other models annually. Foreign investors had been spooked by the politically charged assault on billionaire oil tycoon Mikhail Khodorkovsky, though Toyota's entry into the Russian market may provide a new vote of confidence for the economy.
See "Toyota launches Russia plant construction", Irina Titova, The Boston Globe, June 13, 2005