Latest Articles about Russia
The Karachay Jamaat: Alive and Operational
Every news item about insurgent activities in Karachaevo-Cherkessia should be put in the wider context of the general situation in the North Caucasus. On a regional scale, the events in this republic are immeasurably small, especially compared to the other North Caucasus republics or to... MORE
The Internal Political Crisis Increasingly Influences Putin’s Foreign Policy
The Moscow Center of Strategic Studies (CSS) – an influential think tank led by well-known economist, former parliamentarian and first deputy economics minister in Vladimir Putin’s first government, Mikhail Dmitriev – has recently published a report about the ongoing political and economic crisis in Russia.... MORE
Prime Minister Medvedev Visits Grozny
On June 19, the first meeting of the new Russian government commission for the socio-economic development of the North Caucasus took place in Grozny, Chechnya. Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev presided over the meeting and stated that development of the North Caucasus was “one of the... MORE
FSB in Adygea Reportedly Cracks Down on Circassians Who Emigrated from Turkey
On June 5, the head of Kabardino-Balkaria’s department for civil and religious organizations, Anzor Kurashinov, revealed that 300 more Syrian Circassians were expected to arrive in the republic before the end of 2012. Kurashinov estimated that 150 repatriates had arrived in Kabardino-Balkaria from Syria to... MORE
Experiments with Repression in Russia Are Tempered by the Oil Business
Two stories dominated the news-cycle in Moscow last week: the targeted police investigations against several opposition leaders on the eve and in the aftermath of the big rally on June 12, and a high-level silovik’s direct threat against a journalist from Novaya Gazeta. Commentators and... MORE
Rising Russian Nationalist Sentiment Makes North Caucasus Secession More Likely
Anti-Chechen and anti-Caucasian hysteria in the Russian media is rapidly expanding. Russian authorities have always regulated this kind of campaigns behind the scenes, depending on Moscow’s objectives in the North Caucasus at a given moment. For example, the start of the second war in Chechnya... MORE
A Cold Wind Blows from Moscow to Chechnya
Ramzan Kadyrov explained his sudden dismissal of the Chechen government on May 17 by pointing to the new challenges he said the republic was facing (www.vesti.ru/doc.html?id=796442). However, no one in Chechnya has any doubts that dismissing the government was used only as a pretext for... MORE
The Russian Military Prepares Expeditionary Forces, Allegedly for Deployment to Syria
Sources in the Russian Defense Ministry told Nezavisimaya Gazeta that troops are being prepared for combat deployment “outside the borders of Russia, possibly in Syria.” The 76th Pskov airborne division, the 15th army brigade from Samara, as well as GRU special forces from the South... MORE
Moscow Carries Out Unprecedented Special Forces Raids Against Kabardino-Balkarian Authorities
On June 7, an unusual police operation took place in Nalchik, the capital of Kabardino-Balkaria. About 100 investigators and special forces servicemen had arrived the previous day from Moscow at the Russian military airbase at Mozdok in neighboring North Ossetia. The group secretly moved into... MORE
The Mysterious Case of Russia’s “New Look” Sergeants
In the immediate aftermath of President Vladimir Putin confirming the continuance of Anatoliy Serdyukov in his post as Russia’s Defense Minister, the mystery has deepened surrounding existing plans to transform the non-commissioned officer (NCO) cadre, reform the officer corps and recruit contract personnel for service... MORE