Latest Eurasia Daily Monitor Articles

Russian Military Plans New NCO Training Center

In a clear break with its former pattern in producing praporshchiki (sergeants) for the army, the Russian defense ministry has begun forming a professional non-commissioned officer (NCO) corps, which will consist of specialists with almost three years of training at a new facility. Controversially, these... MORE

German Political Uproar After Air Strike in Afghanistan

A German-ordered, U.S.-executed air strike, which killed scores of Afghan villagers on September 4, has caused a political uproar in Germany in the run-up to the September 27 parliamentary elections. The two governing parties are engaged in competitive damage-control. The event underscores the limitations and... MORE

Kurdish Debate Dominates Turkish Politics

Since Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan revealed that his government is working on a plan to address the Kurdish question, the debate has dominated Turkish politics. It is uncommon for Turkish politics to be dominated by a single issue over a long period, however, the... MORE

More Russian Troops Headed to Ingushetia

According to independent sources, several additional Russian army units are headed to the special-operations zone where the insurgency in Ingushetia has mounted relentless strikes (www.ingushetia.ru, August 14). As these troops arrive in the area with five Grad missile launchers and several armored personnel carriers, it... MORE

Rakhmon’s Son Mooted to Succeed Father in the 2020’s

Tajikistan's political future is difficult to predict: whether the country will be able to use its economic potential or become yet another failed state owing to its corruption and criminality largely depends on President Emomali Rakhmon's policies. Nonetheless, one thing has become clearer over the... MORE

Black Thursday in the North Caucasus

Last Thursday was Dagestan's deadliest day in recent years. While all three North Caucasus republics of Chechnya, Ingushetia and Dagestan reported deadly clashes between insurgents and police forces that day, the latter claimed most of the casualties.In the Dagestani city of Buinaksk, at approximately 8:00... MORE