Aslan Doukaev

Dr. Aslan Doukaev is an expert on the North Caucasus.

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Articles by Aslan Doukaev

Resurgent Dreams of Independence in the North Caucasus

Russia’s war against Ukraine has significantly altered the geopolitical terrain of Eastern Europe, and its repercussions have extended into the North Caucasus. One of the most notable consequences has been

Is Chechnya’s Strongman Poised to Capitalize on Prigozhin’s Downfall?

Reading into Russian President Vladimir Putin’s actions in the aftermath of Yevgeny Prigozhin’s mutiny is comparable to entering a baffling alternate universe where messages are sent with symbols, cues and

Azerbaijan Is Drifting Away From Russia, and Moscow Has Only Itself to Blame

The Russian political class, epitomized by the ruling United Russia party and its leaders, might well be one of the most destructive phenomena that has swept the country in recent

Could Chechnya’s ‘Dark Horse’ Emerge as Kremlin King-Maker?

Over the past few months, Russia watchers have been sounding the alarm about the domestic ramifications of Moscow’s faltering campaign in Ukraine, which appears to have blossomed into a dense

Ukraine’s and Chechnya’s Veteran Anti-Russian Movements Signal Mutual Support

Two recent events—the Ukrainian parliament’s October 18 declaration that Chechnya is a Russian-occupied territory and the arrival in Ukraine of a group of Chechen and Syrian war veterans led by

What Lies Behind Russia’s Increasingly Esoteric Anti-Western Rhetoric?

As Russian officials and propagandists scramble to develop a better spin on the continuing debacle in eastern Ukraine, some have begun to evoke the metaphysical dimension of the ongoing fight,

Chechen Leader Lambasts Russian Defense Ministry for Failures in Ukraine

August is said to be the cruelest month in Russia—one that brings major political upheavals (see Prism, August 18, 1995), embarrassing setbacks on the battlefield (CNN, August 9, 1996) and

Chechen Fighters in Ukraine Set Sights on Homeland

The Russo-Ukrainian War, now entering its seventh month, has dramatically altered the dynamics of intra-Chechen politics and, rather unexpectedly, brought the half-forgotten issue of Chechnya’s difficult, often adversarial relations with

Sheikh Mansur Battalion Commander Muslim Cheberloyevsky: From Chechen Nationalist to Defender of Ukrainian Sovereignty

Just a year ago, Muslim Cheberloyevsky's life in Ukraine was teetering precariously on the brink of disaster after the country’s National Security and Defense Council (NSDC) blacklisted him as a

Inter-Ethnic Animosity Saps Effectiveness of Russia’s Army in Ukraine

Russia’s 2022 re-invasion of Ukraine has damaged not only bilateral relations between the two majority–Eastern Slavic neighbors but also—perhaps inadvertently—destabilized ties, links, goodwill, and mutual trust between the Russian periphery

No Retreat Permitted for Putin’s Hapless Conscripts in Ukraine

In a throwback to Stalinist-era practices, Russian forces in Ukraine may have been using some of their own detachments as “barrier troops”—a term originating in World War II for so-called

Warring Chechen Factions Fight on Opposing Sides in Ukrainian Conflict

As Russia launched its massive re-invasion of neighboring Ukraine in late February, scores of propagandists, journalists and officials—in Russia, Ukraine and even abroad—seized on an old, familiar trope: the Chechen,

Chechen Rosgvardia Troops Head for Ukraine

In a further indication that Russia continues to build up its forces on the border with Ukraine, a convoy with Chechen internal troops has recently been spotted moving northwest, through

The Rise of Abdul Hakim al-Shishani: The Istanbul-Based Commander of Chechen Fighters in Idlib

In the secretive world of Chechen militants in Syria, the limelight often is shunned and garrulity is considered a sin. Propaganda videos posted online or occasional interviews with journalists or

Chechen Strongman Drives New Wedge Between Russia and Turkey

Like any other relationship, the partnership between Turkey and Russia has had its ups and downs, twists and turns. The downing by Turkey, in November 2015, of a Russian Sukhoi

Russia’s Cossacks: Strategic Asset or Financial Liability?

The Cossack revivalist movement in southern Russia (and beyond) since the collapse of the Soviet Union is marked by two parallel tendencies. On the one hand, there is Cossack activism

South Caucasus States Keen to Cash in on China’s, India’s Transportation Expansion

With the emergence of China and other manufacturing powerhouses in Asia that constantly seek access to new markets, the Caucasus has become attractive as a transit route for the movement

Taliban’s Return to Power Draws Mixed Reaction From Chechen Factions

As the United States military completes its retreat from Afghanistan, Russia, despite its own humiliating 1989 exit from the war-torn country, has been gloating (see EDM, August 19), apparently hoping

Chechnya’s Veteran Fighters Have Their Backs to the Wall

In two battlegrounds 1,500 kilometers apart, veteran Chechen freelance fighters are being rebuked by those with whom they aligned against a common foe. In June, Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), the

How Long Is Ramzan Kadyrov’s Long Arm?

The German Federal Prosecutor's Office (GBA) is investigating a case of an employee of the Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution (BfV) in the state of Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania

Turkey Breaches Russia’s Sphere of Influence

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and his Azerbaijani counterpart, Ilham Aliyev, signed an agreement on June 15, 2021, that may have historic significance not only for the two signatory countries,

Dagestani Leadership Struggles With Countering Islamic State’s Propaganda Offensive

Despite the relative success of the Syrian regime in stopping the advance of the armed opposition (with help from the Russian expeditionary force and Iranian-backed Shia militias), the war-torn country