Executive Summary: In Russia, the growing threat of the Islamic State in Khorasan (ISKP) has pushed the Kremlin to expand ties with the Afghan Taliban and consider delisting the jihadist organization as a designated terrorist group. ISKP views Russia as a top-tier target due to,... MORE

Executive Summary: Russian President Vladimir Putin summoned Syrian dictator Bashar al-Assad to Moscow for a secret meeting the same day Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu addressed the US Congress, demonstrating Putin’s scramble to maintain influence in the Middle East. Russia’s renewed interest in the Middle... MORE

Executive Summary: The Russian military in Ukraine is suffering from various signs of degradation. The longer the war goes on, the more these trends are likely to intensify, threatening Moscow’s ability to conduct military operations and maintain order at home. The battlefield degradation is seeping... MORE

Executive Summary: Russia’s State Statistics Agency, Rosstat, reported increased growth in arms manufacturing industries during the first half of 2024. However, this growth is less impressive when considering physical manufacturing data as it is dependent on ruble prices. Russia was only able to increase the... MORE

Executive Summary: Russia currently has the largest fleet of icebreakers in the Arctic. Its lead over others, however, is somewhat deceptive as most are small and devoted to clearing ice from harbors rather than keeping the Northern Sea Route open. The United States, Canada, and... MORE

Executive Summary: Russian State Duma Deputy Viktor Vodolatsky, former ataman of the Don Cossacks, gave an interview on May 14 discussing plans to open new state-registered Cossack societies in the occupied territories of Ukraine, highlighting the Cossacks’ role in the Kremlin’s consolidation of control over... MORE

Executive Summary: Russia’s 2024 offensive has made some small gains while enduring heavy manpower and equipment losses. This approach reflects the Kremlin’s shift from carrying out a “special military operation” in Ukraine to digging in for a “long war” of attrition. Ukrainian defenses have been... MORE

Executive Summary: EU member states and other Western powers have introduced restrictive sanctions against Russia’s diamond-producing industry, a major contributor to the Russian economy, such as restrictions against the import of Russian diamonds directly or from other countries. Other diamond-producing countries, many of which are... MORE

Executive Summary: Turkmenistan, a constitutionally mandated neutral and closed off country, has attracted far less attention and played a smaller role than its neighbors in regional trade and transit. Ashgabat has not only become more active abroad but has also reached agreements that will make... MORE

Executive Summary Armenia plans to replace its aging Soviet-era Metsamor nuclear reactor by 2036 and is currently engaged in talks with other countries, including Russia and the United States, to replace it. Armenian Security Council Secretary Armen Grigoryan announced that talks with the United States... MORE