
Latest Articles about Russia

FSB Veterans Unhappy about New Special Forces Training Center in Chechnya
Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov stated recently that a new training center for special forces will be built on the territory of the Chechen Republic. Russian forces are expected to use the facility for training (rg.ru, June 21). “There are no similar centers in Russia and... MORE

Complicated Intrigue and Maneuvering as Ceasefire in Ukraine Fumbles
The Ukrainian crisis continues to be the main topic of political and public interest in Moscow, completely overshadowing the world soccer championship. The Russian state TV propaganda machine daily broadcasts stories about pro-Russian “self-defense fighters” in the Donbas region (far eastern Ukrainian oblasts of Luhansk... MORE

Kremlin Pushes Dagestani Billionaires to Invest in Dagestan
The return of controversial billionaire Suleiman Kerimov to Dagestan was this month’s big news in the republic. International Airport Makhachkala, a company affiliated with Kerimov, acquired a majority stake in the Makhachkala airport for $9 million and is expected to finalize its acquisition later. The... MORE

Moscow’s Ministers Descend on Baku
During June 2014, Russian ministers and high-level officials descended on Baku to pursue Russia’s lengthening agenda with Azerbaijan. At the beginning of the month, Economic Minister Alexei Ulyukaev came to discuss economic cooperation and invited Azerbaijan to join the Russia-led Eurasian Economic Union (Interfax-Azerbaijan, June... MORE

Moscow Behind Plans for Central Asian Energy Grid Bypassing Uzbekistan
Moscow is using much the same strategy to punish and rein in Tashkent for its pro-Western tilt that it has used against Kyiv: promoting separatism in Karakalpakstan (see EDM, windowoneurasia2.blogspot.com, June 13) and organizing the regional power grid in Central Asia in such a way... MORE

Russia Lifts Arms Embargo to Sell Helicopters to Pakistan
On June 2, the head of the Russian state technology corporation Rostec, Sergei Chemezov, commented that Russia has lifted its embargo on supplies of weapons and military hardware to Pakistan, telling reporters, “The decision was taken, and we are negotiating the delivery of helicopters” (ITAR-TASS,... MORE

Ukraine Shows Readiness to Pay More Attention to Oppressed Groups in Russia
On June 15, Ukrainian parliamentary deputy Oleg Lyashko initiated a bill on recognizing the Circassian genocide, citing the long period of subjugation and oppression of the Circassians by the Tsarist forces in the 18th and 19th centuries. The legislator referred to the fact that Georgia’s... MORE

Russia Returns to Strategy of Escalation, Derailing Ukrainian Ceasefire
The peace plan advanced last Friday (June 20) by President Petro Poroshenko aimed to reassert the integrity of the Ukrainian state, yet it may mark a new escalation of hostilities in Donbas—the eastern territory of Ukraine encompassing Donetsk and Luhansk regions. Russian President Vladimir Putin... MORE

Controversy Emerges Insides Russia Over Chechen Film Depicting 1944 Deportations
The Russian government refuses to understand that the history of the groups they conquered and the history of the conquerors cannot be combined into one narrative. When the conquerors start reciting their heroic history, they come into conflict with those whom they conquered, who have... MORE

Ukraine Responds to Russia’s Suspension of Gas Supplies
Following Russian President Vladimir Putin’s warnings, Gazprom has fully halted natural gas supplies to Ukraine since June 16, citing debts calculated by Moscow for past deliveries of gas to Ukraine (see EDM, June 19). The Ukrainian government views Gazprom’s move in the broader context of... MORE