Russian President Vladimir Putin secretly flew to Chechnya on the morning of May 11, announcing the visit only during a Cabinet meeting he chaired after returning to Moscow later in the day. While in Grozny, Putin presented the gold star-shaped Hero of Russia medal to... MORE

The murder of Akhmad Kadyrov, a former mufti turned politician handpicked by the Kremlin to lead the pro-Moscow administration in Chechnya (see yesterday's EDM), dealt a severe blow to the assertions of the Putin government that it had reestablished full control over the rebellious region.... MORE

On May 6 the Russian cabinet endorsed an ambitious, twenty year plan to spend US$1 trillion on improving the country's inadequate road system. The plan would boost the paved roads in Russia from the current 368,000 miles to 525,000 miles. By comparison, the United States,... MORE

In a huge blow to President Vladimir Putin's policy in Chechnya, pro-Moscow Chechen President Akhmad Kadyrov was killed on May 9 in a large explosion that occurred in Grozny's Dinamo stadium during a Victory Day parade. The blast took place at around 10:35 a.m. Moscow... MORE

The never-ending confrontation between Washington and Moscow over Russia's nuclear cooperation with Iran was back in the news last week following the approval by the U.S. Congress of a resolution condemning Iran's nuclear program. The document, passed on May 6 by an overwhelming 376-3 vote,... MORE

Investigators from the Prosecutor General's Office seized documents from the central office of Yukos Oil in Moscow on May 6. A source in the company told Interfax's Petroleum Information Agency that the investigators confiscated several bags of documents, specifically from the office of a Yukos... MORE

The Sayano-Shushensk hydro-electric plant, on the mighty Yenisei river in the Siberian republic of Khakasia, is the jewel in the crown of the national electricity company United Energy System. The plant, the fourth largest in the world, produces US$3 billion worth of power a year... MORE

Russia's Foreign Ministry weighed in yesterday on the scandal surrounding the abuse of Iraqis detained by U.S.-led coalition forces. Deputy Foreign Minister Yury Fedotov called the reported "cases of torture" a cause for "deep concern." He added: "Apart from the fact that these [cases of]... MORE

Economics dominate Russia's relations with the European Union. Will Russia benefit, or suffer, from the expansion of the EU - and to what extent did these considerations influence Russian policy towards the enlargement? For political reasons, Russian commentators chose to interpret EU enlargement as bad... MORE

On April 21, Russia used its veto power - for the first time in ten years - to block a draft UN Security Council resolution on Cyprus. A British- and U.S.-sponsored resolution would have guaranteed the security of Greek and Turkish Cypriots if they accepted... MORE