
Latest Articles about Russia

Baltic Region Holds Multiple NATO Exercises in Anticipation of Russia’s Massive Zapad 2017 Drills
Twice in the past several weeks, Russian intrusions put the Baltics on high alert. On June 1, several Russian soldiers, traveling from the Russian exclave of Kaliningrad without transit permits, were stopped in Lithuania (Apollo.lv, June 2). A week later, two Goryn-class tugboats—the MB-119 and... MORE

Space and the Russian Military: New Trends
Russian President Vladimir Putin held a meeting on May 22, in Sochi, where he called for broadening the use of space technologies to improve the domestic economy and national defense, specifically referring to ballistic missile launch sensing satellites. He called for having at least 15... MORE

Moscow’s Pursuit of Military Strategic Parity With NATO
As Moscow prepares to finalize the new State Armaments Program to 2025 (Gosudarstvennaya Programma Vooruzheniya—GPV) in September (see EDM, June 12), numerous reports hold out the prospect of continued military modernization with an emphasis on high-technology and modern assets. Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu promises the arrival... MORE

Italy and Russia: Between Economic Cooperation and Mediterranean Problems
Italian Prime Minister Paolo Gentiloni met with Russian President Vladimir Putin, in Sochi, on May 17, a few days before the G7 summit, which was organized by Italy and held in Taormina, Sicily. The Trump-Gentiloni meeting focused on a number of pressing issues, from economic... MORE

Having Lost ‘Soft’ Power in Post-Soviet Space, Moscow Increasingly Using ‘Hard’
The aggressiveness Moscow has shown in its relations with countries in the former Soviet space reflects Russia’s loss of influence via “soft” power channels. At the same time, the Kremlin’s demonstrated bellicosity simply exacerbates that loss. Consequently, if President Vladimir Putin is going to rebuild... MORE

Land and Airborne Forces Biggest ‘Winners’ of 2018–2025 Russian Armaments Program
Russian President Vladimir Putin held a series of meetings in Sochi, between May 16 and 19, with representatives from the Armed Forces and the defense industry. These meetings, traditionally held twice a year, were the ninth such occasion since 2013. One of the most important... MORE

Mess in the Middle East Opens Few Opportunities for Russia
Russia’s best chances to claim a prominent role in the Middle East usually come amidst a regional escalation of tensions. But the confluence of diplomatic rows, terrorist attacks and air strikes at the start of June did not exactly play into Moscow’s hands. As usual,... MORE

The Russian Army to Be Subordinated to the National Guard in a Crisis
President Vladimir Putin signed a decree late last month (May 24) that lays out drastic changes in the military organization of the Russian state. The bureaucratic document approves “The Statute on the Operational-Territorial Grouping of National Guard Troops of the Russian Federation.” However, it is... MORE

Putin Angrily Denounces ‘Anti-Russian Hysteria’ in US
At the annual St. Petersburg Economic Forum last week (June 1–3), President Vladimir Putin repeatedly rejected accusations of Russian covert meddling in the 2016 United States presidential election (see EDM, June 5). Putin defended the Russian ambassador in Washington, Sergei Kislyak, who did apparently meet... MORE

CIS Anti-Terrorism Center Holds First Military Exercises in Tajikistan
On May 30, troops from Russia and Tajikistan launched Dushanbe-Anti-Terror-2017—the final stage of a six-part exercise held in six different countries, including Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, Armenia and Belarus, which began on May 23 (Avesta, May 24). Involving 2,000 personnel, the exercises concluded on June 1. Military... MORE