Executive Summary: Russian officials have begun to address the degrading state of critical civilian infrastructure, particularly heating systems, ahead of the coming winter. The past few years have seen catastrophic incidents leaving many Russians without heat. Russian officials blame numerous sources for these issues—including Russian... MORE

Executive Summary: Russia’s war against Ukraine has turned into the first major full-scale drone war, and Ukraine is dominating this aspect of the conflict through its innovation and leadership in drone production. Moscow is lagging behind in the drone war, relying on outdated Iranian drones... MORE

Executive Summary: This year’s Nobel Peace Prize was awarded to Hiroshima and Nagasaki survivors, underscoring the importance of preserving the international norm against the first use of nuclear weapons amid Russia’s increasing nuclear brinkmanship. Putin has placed himself into an awkward position where his frequent... MORE

Executive Summary: The Russian Community, a Kremlin-backed group of far-right Russian nationalists, has increasingly been attacking marginalized communities such as non-ethnic Russians, immigrants, LGBTQ+ individuals, and abortion doctors. The Russian Community works with the Russian security agencies, but the government is not yet ready to... MORE

Executive Summary: The Russian government passed a law that enables the recruitment to the Russian Armed Forces of people under arrest and facing a criminal investigation, even prior to a court trial. Russia has experienced increasingly high losses in the last five months, driving demand... MORE

Executive Summary:  New corruption schemes are being developed to power Russia’s war machine and incentivize Russian citizens to fight in Ukraine through monetary support and the elimination of criminal liability. A powerful money-laundering network connected to military-patriotic organizations is conducting collections “for the needs of... MORE

Executive Summary: Moscow is using the Muslim Spiritual Directorates (MSDs) for the primary purpose for which they were established during World War II: to mobilize Muslims in Russia against a foreign enemy. The MSDs’ tasks include boosting the recruitment of young Muslims, limiting internal clashes... MORE

Executive Summary: Tbilisi’s ruling Georgian Dream party stated the possibility of returning the separatist regions of Abkhazia and South Ossetia as part of their campaign for the parliamentary elections. Moscow has not expressed support for reintegrating the Russian controlled regions into Georgia but alternatively for... MORE

Executive Summary:  Moscow and the All-Russia Cossack Society completed the documentation necessary to create full-fledged Russian Cossack societies in Ukraine's occupied Zaporizhzhia oblast. The Kremlin may use Russian Cossack organizations in Ukraine as a pretext to mobilize men while simultaneously providing a new legitimation for... MORE

Executive Summary: Over the past months, Russia’s “Africa Corps,” which is mostly made up of former Wagnerites, in Africa’s Sahel states have faced numerous blows from jihadist groups. These defeats have begun to raise questions about the future of Russian military forces in the region... MORE