Until June 2023, Russian President Vladimir Putin was apparently quite confident in his power and the lack of any true challenge to it. Anti-Putin activists were successfully squeezed out of the country, the most vociferous were imprisoned or killed. The more measured dissatisfied voices largely... MORE

*Read Part One. *Read Part Two. As the Ukrainian counteroffensive presses ahead, reports have increasingly characterized the effort as a campaign with steady gains, but heavy losses (Kyiv Post, June 13; Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, June 25; Commonspace.eu, June 27). At some level, Ukraine’s mounting... MORE

On August 18, the Russian Foreign Ministry banned entry to the country for 20 Moldovan officials, 18 of which come from the ruling Party of Action and Solidarity (PAS) (Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, August 18). This came in response to Moldova’s supposed “unfriendly” policy, when... MORE

Russia’s Caspian Flotilla has been dominant in the inland sea for so long that many have ignored the fact that, over the past several years, it has ceased to be the only national navy that matters. Outside powers, due to the expansion of their navies,... MORE

In recent months, it has been rare to find a popular Russian political show that does not include calls for a nuclear strike against Ukraine and the West. At the forefront of this “nuclear hysteria” is Vladimir Solovyov, Russia’s so-called “chief propagandist.” Solovyov does not... MORE

Kazakhstan recently expressed concerns about the security of the Russian Port of Novorossiysk, which Astana uses to export most of its oil. Energy Minister Almasadam Satkaliyev said that Kazakhstan will discuss the port’s security following the drone attacks on August 4 that led to the... MORE

On July 16, Russian President Vladimir Putin demanded to intensify the country’s efforts in promoting military propaganda within education institutions. As per Putin’s instructions, the Russian Ministry of Science and Higher Education, the Ministry of Education and Rosmolodezh (Federal Agency for Youth Affairs) are tasked... MORE

Ukrainian naval combat drones are demonstrating rapid improvement in their technical characteristics (see EDM, November 8, 2022, June 2, 13). Ukrainian-made drones (uncrewed submerged, semisubmersible or surface vehicles; USVs) have struck several significant Russian targets in close sequence in recent weeks. This unprecedented series of... MORE

It appears that the influence of the radical patriots in Russia has declined as of late. Around the same time as the arrest of war criminal and regime critic Igor Girkin (Strelkov) (Interfax.ru, July 21), communications about the need for peace negotiations with Ukraine began... MORE

The intensifying clash between Moldova’s two Eastern Orthodox churches reflects the growing conflict over Chisinau’s turn away from Moscow and pursuit of integration with the West. The larger of the two churches, the Metropolitanate of Chisinau and All Moldova, is a self-governing hierarchy under the... MORE