On July 15, Moskovsky Komsomolets published a revealing report about a bitter conflict between the Russian interior ministry troops stationed in Chechnya and the Chechen Sever (“North”) battalion. Russian interior ministry sources told the newspaper that on February 4, 2010 during an operation against a... MORE

On July 2, the newspaper Vedomosti unveiled Aleksandr Khloponin’s long-promised ambitious plan to develop the North Caucasus Federal District. The three possible scenarios in the North Caucasus are described as inertial, basic and optimal, with the last being favored the most. The optimal scenario is... MORE

On June 29, Dagestan’s President, Magomedsalam Magomedov, delivered his first annual presidential address to the parliament and people of the republic. Magomedov described the contemporary situation in the republic as “complicated, problematic and even prone to crisis.” He tried to strike a balance between criticizing... MORE

After a six-week lull, the Chechen capital Grozny has once again experienced another suicide bombing attack. On the evening of June 30, a suicide bomber attempted to enter the Grozny concert hall shortly before a performance. He was stopped, but managed to set off an... MORE

As Russian Prime Minister, Vladimir Putin, this week announced a new strategy to bring prosperity to the North Caucasus, people across the region publicly accused local authorities of abusing human rights. Putin said in the city of Kislovodsk in Stavropol Krai on July 6 that... MORE

On July 6, Russian Prime Minister, Vladimir Putin, outlined the government’s plans for North Caucasus development at a United Russia party gathering in the Stavropol region (www.kavkaz-uzel.ru, July 6). However, the grandiose future projects that Putin described in his speech were accompanied by much more... MORE

One year since Natalya Estemirova, a prominent Chechen human rights activist and renowned journalist, was kidnapped and shot, her murder remains unsolved, while Chechnya has increasingly become a no-go zone for independent journalists and human rights NGO’s. At a press conference held in Moscow on... MORE

Despite Russian Prime Minister, Vladimir Putin’s, announcement of a new plan to overhaul the economy of the North Caucasus, there was little sign of a let-up in insurgency related violence in the region this week. A large improvised explosive device (IED) detonated near the village... MORE

Seven people died and over 40 were injured following the explosion near a concert hall in Stavropol on May 26. As of May 31, 32 people remained in the local hospital for treatment, five of whom were in critical condition (www.kavkaz-uzel.ru, May 31). According to... MORE

Against the background of Chechen President, Ramzan Kadyrov’s, growing concerns about the number of rebels operating throughout Chechnya (EDM, May 28), it has been decided in the capital Grozny to set up a special commission charged with counting how many Chechens are in fact engaged... MORE