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Latest Articles about North Caucasus
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Vilnius at 30—Nothing Must Be Forgotten
Thirty years ago tomorrow (January 13), Soviet forces fired at unarmed Lithuanians in Vilnius, killing 15 and thereby accelerating the recovery of the full independence of the Baltic countries as well as the demise of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR). Both the details... MORE
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Year 2020 in Review: Pandemic Exacerbated Problems Across North Caucasus and Set Stage for More Conflict
As almost everywhere else, the coronavirus pandemic overshadowed and affected everything across the North Caucasus during the last year. Due to its direct impact on the population (see EDM, April 2, 2020), officials exploited the disease to tighten control and hide problems like abuse of... MORE
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Year 2020 in Review: Internal and External Challenges Mount for Moscow in the Northeast Caucasus
The year 2020 was marked by a range of both long-continuing and entirely novel trends in the Northeast Caucasus. Insurgency violence simmered in the region albeit at a lower scale than in previous years. But at the same time, both international and domestic Russian scandals... MORE
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Moscow Moves to Tighten Grip Over North Caucasus Republics
The economic crisis in the Russian Federation has resulted in the central government further tightening its control over the republics of the North Caucasus. Ingushetia now faces a loss of its financial autonomy. Similarly, the property rights for a key tourist enterprise in Kabardino-Balkaria have... MORE
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Chechnya’s Leader Clashes With Kremlin Over French Politics
The dispute in France over freedom of speech and sacred Islamic symbols that has embroiled the country following a series of attacks there by Islamist radicals has had unexpected reverberations inside the Russian Federation (see EDM, November 2). Chechnya’s governor, Ramzan Kadyrov, publicly clashed with... MORE
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New Wave of Islamic Extremism Adds to Putin’s Troubles
The series of terrorist attacks in France, in late October, attracted much attention in Russia, sharply dividing public opinion and leaving President Vladimir Putin in an awkward limbo. The Kremlin leader excels at positioning himself as a counter-terrorist champion when the issue is clear and... MORE
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Chechnya and Ingushetia Exhibit Growing Signs of Destabilization
Chechnya and Ingushetia saw a surprise surge in clashes between government forces and rebels in recent weeks. The government side has suffered casualties for the first time in months. It is too early to say if this uptick in violence represents a lasting trend or... MORE
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Chechen Minister Voices Support for Azerbaijan in Its Clashes With Armenia
Chechen Healthcare Minister Elkhan Suleymanov has come out in support of Azerbaijan in the latter’s armed conflict with Armenia over Karabakh. Suleymanov wrote on his Instagram account that Azerbaijan, where he was born and grew up, was going through difficult times. “[T]oday, I want to express my... MORE
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Russia’s Armed Forces Test UAV Swarm Tactics in Kavkaz 2020
This year’s Russian annual strategic command-staff exercise (strategicheskiye komandno-shtabnyye ucheniya—SKShU) was Kavkaz 2020, held during September 21–26 and centered on the Southern Military District (MD). The exercise tested a wide range of military capabilities and took place across a diverse swathe of geographic locations within and beyond... MORE
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Incident at Orthodox Holy Site in Kaliningrad Highlights Depths of Misunderstanding Between Ethnic Russians and North Caucasus Muslims
A group of Russian army soldiers from Dagestan cleaned their shoes in a holy spring by a Russian Orthodox church in the country’s westernmost province of Kaliningrad. The case sparked outrage among many ethnic Russians after the video surfaced on YouTube. Early reports suggested that... MORE