Russia didn't ban bitcoin. It has the same status as every other international currency.
The article linked there, from Australia itNews[1], says:
The Central Bank of Russia considers Bitcoin as a form of "money substitute" or "money surrogate" which is restricted under Russian law. However, unlike use of restricted foreign currencies, Bitcoin has been outright banned.
I'll admit I don't read Russian, so I can't provide a more authoritative voice on the subject.
On the other hand, Singapore Government Decides Not to Interfere With Bitcoin[2]
[1]: http://www.itnews.com.au/News/371774,russia-bans-bitcoin.asp...
http://translate.google.com/translate?hl=en&ie=ASCII&prev=_t...