Latest Articles about Russia
Kadyrov Regime Struggles to Suppress Dissent in Chechnya
On July 6, the Kavkazsky Uzel (Caucasian Knot) website reported new cases of arson attacks against relatives of suspected rebels in Chechnya. The website quoted sources in the Shali, Kurchaloi and Gudermes districts (who were not named for security reasons) as saying that that up... MORE
Ability, Talent and Lost Careers: Russia’s “Superfluous Generals”
In 1850, Ivan Turgenev popularized the literary concept of the “superfluous man” in his Dnevnik Lishnego Cheloveka (The Diary of a Superfluous Man). The character is unable to reconcile his own talents and abilities to the state-centric approach demanded by his employment. During the reorganization... MORE
Kabardino-Balkaria Youth Protest Against Moscow Reaches Tipping Point
On July 6, a massive anti-government protest took place in the town of Baksan, Kabardino-Balkaria. An estimated 600 unarmed young men blocked a vital highway connecting the capital of the republic, Nalchik, with the neighboring Stavropol region. The protesters demanded that the authorities “put an... MORE
Failure to Resolve Karabakh Conflict Has Regional Repercussions
The failure of the tripartite Kazan summit on June 24 to resolve the standoff in Karabakh will undoubtedly have serious regional repercussions. Certainly they cast the insight and capability of Russian diplomacy and President Dmitry Medvedev’s leadership into question. Moscow clearly anticipated and even publicly... MORE
Medvedev and Putin Try In Vain to Shake the Siloviki Into Order
Elections in Russia are not about selling a vision or swaying the electorate, they concern showing who is the boss – and demonstrating that the boss means business. In this crucial respect, the ongoing election campaign is a complete mess, and not because it is... MORE
North Caucasus’ Low-Grade Insurgency Continues to Simmer
A number of incidents of insurgency-related violence were reported across the North Caucasus this past week.An improvised explosive device (IED) was discovered and defused by Federal Security Service (FSB) bomb disposal experts today (July 8) in Dagestan’s Kizilyurt district. The Kavkazsky Uzel website reported that... MORE
Russian Experts Disagree On Missile Defense Guarantees
Follow-up reports in Moscow in the aftermath of the failed NATO-Russia Council discussions on European missile defense underscored the fact that any idea of a joint system, as opposed to a joint concept, was dead. Aleksei Arbatov, a leading Russian expert on strategic issues and... MORE
Moscow Renews Accusations Against Neighboring States for Harboring Chechen Fighters
Events in the North Caucasus today increasingly are forcing more experts to review their forecasts for this region as militant activities intensify and the mood in Russian society shifts. Today, the question of splitting the North Caucasus off from Russia is discussed in wide circles... MORE
Implications of Lithuania’s Unbundling of Gazprom-Controlled Pipelines
Lithuania has become the first EU country to start implementing the EU’s Third Package of energy market liberalization laws. Estonia is considering a move in the same direction, possibly by October. Meanwhile, Latvia has postponed a decision, awaiting potentially fateful elections. In Lithuania (as elsewhere... MORE
Solomonov Attacks Defense Ministry for Holding Back Funds
On July 6, Dmitry Medvedev was chairing a routine video-link conference from his country residence near Moscow with ministers and governors about the implementation of presidential initiatives to build kindergartens, helping young families with children and promoting state-sponsored primary military cadet academies for teenagers in... MORE