Executive Summary: Russian President Vladimir Putin met with activists from the All-Russian Popular Front (ONF) in July, demonstrating the Kremlin’s reliance on government-organized non-governmental organizations (GONGOs) to mobilize support for his war against Ukraine. The ONF highlights achievements in infrastructure and social projects while directly... MORE

Executive Summary: Russia and the People’s Republic of China (PRC) held the joint Maritime Interaction-2025 naval drills on August 1–5 in the Sea of Japan and East China Sea, coordinating submarine operations for the first time. These drills demonstrate a new level of interoperability in... MORE

Executive Summary: Veterans returning from Russian President Vladimir Putin’s war in Ukraine are powering the rise of the radical Russian nationalist “Northern Man” group, putting it in a position to challenge the better-known Russian Community controlled by the Kremlin and Orthodox Church. Many of the... MORE

Executive Summary: On September 10, Poland shot down at least 19 Russian unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) that had violated its airspace. Afterward, Poland invoked Article 4 of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) founding treaty. Belarus’s armed forces notified Poland and Lithuania about the incoming... MORE

Executive Summary: Ukraine is stepping up international cooperation in defense manufacturing to maximize production, drive innovation, and protect critical industrial infrastructure from Russian strikes. Kyiv launched the “Test in Ukraine” platform to allow international defense companies to learn from Ukrainian innovation and test their new... MORE

Executive Summary: Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev’s visit to Beijing for the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) summit on August 31–September 1 emphasizes Baku’s recent push for the formation of a multivector diplomatic position. Baku seeks deeper SCO engagement to boost the Middle Corridor, but India appears... MORE