Executive Summary: Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov’s recent tour of North Africa focused on maintaining economic ties while seeking to expand the Kremlin’s political influence in the region. The Kremlin has been successful in expanding trade ties with Morocco and Tunisia by exploiting both countries’... MORE

Executive Summary: Belarus is updating its National Security Concept and military doctrine amid increasing tensions in Eastern Europe brought on by Russia’s war against Ukraine Drafts of both documents emphasize that Minsk’s best course to preserving national security emerges from better relations with Europe, despite... MORE

Executive Summary: On January 26, Armenia and Georgia signed a joint agreement establishing a strategic partnership between the two countries. Armenia seeks to reduce its dependency on Russia with the new declaration and become more active in regional transit activities, while Georgia may hope to... MORE

Executive Summary: Both Bashkir and Kazakh nationalists are pressing for greater control over or outright annexation of Russia’s Orenburg Oblast. Russian commentators are calling on Moscow to increase pressure on Astana and expand the Russian military presence in Orenburg to prevent such actions. Opening the... MORE

Executive Summary: Ukrainian sabotage of Russian railways has severely disrupted Moscow’s military logistics in supplying the frontlines. Russian authorities arrested 137 individuals suspected of railway sabotage between February 2022 and October 2023, charging some with acts of treason and terrorism. Some of the sabotage has... MORE

Executive Summary: The United Aircraft Corporation (UAC) achieved a net profit of 6.1 billion rubles in the first half of 2023, compared to a net loss of 13.3 billion rubles loss during the same period in 2022. Increased UAC revenue and salaries were largely attributed... MORE

Executive Summary: Russia’s war against Ukraine has led to a surge in alcohol consumption in Russia, reaching 2.3 billion liters in 2023 and mirroring Soviet-era trends. The spike in alcoholism correlates with an increase in violent crime across Russia, with over 589,000 felonies in 2023,... MORE

Executive Summary: Kremlin propaganda maintain that the “special military operation” continues as planned, that Moscow is open to peace talks, and that “freezing” hostilities would be the best solution for both sides. Nordic-Baltic leaders emphasize the need for more investments in supporting Ukraine and securing... MORE

Executive Summary: Delays in weapons deliveries, disproportionate political pressure, and problems with command, control, and communications plagued Ukraine’s 2023 counteroffensive from the start. Ukrainian forces’ ability to wage a successful 2024 campaign largely rests on Kyiv’s efforts to mobilize more military-age men to reinforce the... MORE

Executive Summary: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has ordered Kyiv to devote more attention to Ukrainian “wedges” within the Russian Federation. Zelenskyy’s pronouncement has set off alarm bells in official Moscow, which is already worried about what such attention and contacts may mean to its control... MORE