Executive Summary: Iran and Russia have steadily strengthened their bilateral cooperation over the past couple of years, primarily based on the destruction of common adversaries, a shared ideological alignment, and expanded military collaboration. Tehran and Moscow have intensified their arms trade and technical assistance on... MORE

Executive Summary: The upcoming Belarusian elections highlight a political landscape dominated by a few parties that support the existing regime in Minsk amid criticism of limited political alternatives and a lack of international observers. President Alyaksandr Lukashenka’s emphasis on generational change raises speculation about succession,... MORE

(Part One) Executive Summary: The inconsistent explanations of Russian propagandists for Alexei Navalny’s death underscore the Kremlin’s culpability. Silence and a lack of coverage from some prominent propagandists suggest that Moscow fears drawing too much attention to the oppositionist’s death. The Kremlin’s increasing repressions cannot... MORE

Executive Summary: The Russian language uses two words for “Russian.” One primarily denotes Russian ethnicity, and the other usually refers to citizens of the Russian Federation (regardless of their ethnicity). Due to a decline in residents declaring themselves as ethnic Russians and a desire to... MORE

Executive Summary: Russia has acknowledged its inability to compete with the West in space and is looking for solutions to shore up the weaknesses of its space program. Moscow views the military satellite systems of the United States and its allies as a significant military... MORE

Executive Summary: Alexei Navalny’s death may spur the West to take more decisive actions against Russia. The US House of Representatives may now be pressured to pass the $95 billion package for aid to Ukraine, and Western governments may consider seizing foreign-held Russian assets. Navalny’s... MORE

Executive Summary: Alexei Navalny died while serving a 19-year sentence in a high-security prison colony. Foreign leaders have directly blamed the Kremlin and Russian President Vladimir Putin for his death. Navalny continually challenged the Kremlin, participated in protests, and attempted to run for office despite... MORE

Executive Summary: Russian-occupied Crimea is now facing water shortages so severe that as many as 500,000 of the peninsula’s 2.5 million residents may soon be forced to try to flee despite Moscow’s claims to the contrary. Such outmigration undermines Russian control. It also creates difficulties... MORE

Executive Summary: The conflict in Ukraine has prompted Russia to intensify its efforts to restrict internet freedom, leading to unprecedented measures against uncensored information and internet encryption. In response to censorship, Russian users have turned to VPN technology for accessing uncensored news. Russian officials are... MORE

 Executive Summary: Russia has significantly increased its influence in Georgian business, particularly after the beginning of the war against Ukraine. More Russian businesses have opened in Georgia since the start of the war in Ukraine than in the past 30 years combined. Russian business penetration... MORE