Russia’s primary objectives in the Black Sea region are to maximize its strategic and maritime influence there, isolate Ukraine and Georgia, weaken the cohesion of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization on Black Sea security issues, and limit access to the area through the Turkish Straits... MORE

According to local observers, political tensions and rumors about Ramazan Abdulatipov’s imminent resignation as Dagestan’s governor have intensified in the republic since the end of January (Onkavkaz.com, February 8). The rumors increased during Russian President Vladimir Putin’s visit to Stavropol region, on January 25, to... MORE

The Kremlin is once again seeking to use the Kurds, the largest stateless national group in the world, for Moscow’s own purposes. In particular, Russia has opened a quasi-diplomatic representation office in Moscow for Syria’s Kurds. Moreover, Vladimir Zhirinovsky, the outspoken leader of the fringe... MORE

*To read Part One, please click here. During the Munich Security Conference, the Barack Obama administration’s messages about Ukraine were inevitably affected by being paired with entreaties for Russian cooperation in Syria (see Part One in EDM, February 16). After Secretary of State John Kerry... MORE

On February 12, the Circassian website Natpressru.info noted that the administration of the town of Krasnaya Polyana in Krasnodar region moved its town day celebrations, which include concerts, athletic competitions and other events, to May 21. The news outraged many Circassians because May 21 is... MORE

On February 8, President Vladimir Putin ordered a “snap inspection” military exercise in the Southern Military District (MD) (see EDM, February 11). The pattern of snap inspection exercises in Russia is now well established, introduced in February 2013 by Defense Minister Army-General Sergei Shoigu in... MORE

Russia’s seizure of Ukrainian territories, and its continuing military operations in Ukraine’s east, receded from center stage at the Munich Security Conference on February 12–14. Instead, the calamities visited upon Europe by wars in Syria and the wider Middle East (uncontrolled mass migrations into Europe,... MORE

On February 8, a number of units of Russia’s Southern Military District as well as the Black Sea Fleet and the Caspian Flotilla were put on a high alert, and massive snap exercises followed. According to Russian officials, this and similar such snap exercises would... MORE

On December 2, 2015, Montenegro was formally invited to join the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO). The military alliance saw its last enlargement round in 2009, when Albania and Croatia were admitted. The acceptance of these states was widely seen as a stepping-stone in ensuring... MORE

After the Kremlin denied having ground troops in Syria, the Russian leadership was surprised by Ramzan Kadyrov’s statement that Chechen special forces were fighting in the Middle East against the Islamic State (IS). A trailer for a program produced by the Russian federal TV channel... MORE