Executive Summary: Russia’s state-owned nuclear corporation, Rosatom, and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) have taken the most tangible step thus far in nuclear energy cooperation from the bilateral to the institutional level, with the signing of a new Memorandum of Understanding. The Kremlin... MORE

Executive Summary: Russia’s draft 2026 budget cuts military spending by $2.4 billion compared to 2025 while boosting funding for state-run media by 54 percent, signaling a potential pivot toward intensified information warfare. The Kremlin’s informational tactics are tailored to domestic, Western, and Ukrainian audiences, seeking... MORE

Executive Summary: Immigrants and non-Russians in the Russian Federation have been acquiring weapons at an ever-increasing rate since the start of Russian President Vladimir Putin’s war against Ukraine, leading to the rise of more ethnically-related crime and even sparking the formation of militia-like groups. This... MORE

Executive Summary: The Russian Supreme Court is preparing to consider a lawsuit designating the New York-based Anti-Corruption Foundation (ACF) as a “terrorist organization.” ACF is the U.S. arm of the Anti-Corruption Foundation (FBK), founded by the late Russian dissident and anti-corruption campaigner, Alexei Navalny.  The... MORE

Executive Summary: The number of Russians willing to sign a contract with the Russian Ministry of Defense to fight against Ukraine has recently declined, and several regions have been forced to reduce the payments to contract soldiers. Moscow recently published a new law permitting reservists... MORE

Executive Summary: Russia’s influence in the Caspian Sea littoral has declined since 2020 due to Moscow’s war against Ukraine diminishing Russian resources and international standing, regional conflicts and reordering, and the growing navies of Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, and Iran. Türkiye has been instrumental in helping Azerbaijan... MORE

Executive Summary: Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022 has led to a domestic fuel crisis, as Ukraine’s repeated drone strikes on oil facilities, as well as international sanctions, have constrained Russia’s largest industry. In September, Russia’s gasoline production fell by almost a quarter, forcing... MORE

Executive Summary: The nationality line in Russian passports, which Moscow exploited to oppress minorities in Soviet times, no longer exists, but official nationality as a legal category still exists in Russia, forcing many to turn to the courts to defend their interests. Unless they can... MORE

Executive Summary: On October 6, privately-owned Russian oil company RussNeft delivered 105,340 tons of Siberian Light crude to Georgia’s newly built, partially state-financed Kulevi refinery, its first full-cycle refinery capable of producing Euro-5 gasoline and diesel. Independent sources classify the vessel that delivered the oil... MORE

Executive Summary: On October 22, Russia conducted its annual strategic nuclear forces exercise, coinciding with the North Atlantic Treaty Organization’s (NATO’s) “Steadfast Noon” drills, which Moscow routinely denounces as provocative and threatening. The Russian exercise openly rehearsed nuclear launch authorization and retaliatory/counter-retaliatory strike procedures. Unofficially,... MORE