On August 3, Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin held a government meeting in Kislovodsk on Moscow’s youth policy in the North Caucasus. While a large part of the statements made by Russia’s most powerful politician were apparently connected to the country’s upcoming presidential elections, Putin... MORE

Insurgents in the North Caucasus targeted police and local officials in Ingushetia, Dagestan and Kabardino-Balkaria this past week.Three policemen were shot to death in Nazran, Ingushetia yesterday (August 4). The incident took place around 10:30 p.m., local time, when a traffic police patrol car carrying... MORE

Russian mass media last week spread word of a statement by the command of the Chechen rebels that referred to Riyadus-Salikhin (Gardens of the Righteous) in connection with the killing of former Russian army colonel Yuri Budanov, who was shot to death in Moscow on... MORE

On July 22, the Memorial human rights center published a report on the most recent trends and developments in the North Caucasus. The report summarizes events spanning March-May 2011, and covers primarily Dagestan, Ingushetia and Kabardino-Balkaria.  The report notes there was an increase of 6,000... MORE

On July 24, Russian government forces killed three suspected militants in the city of Dagestanskie Ogni in southern Dagestan. The security services accused the slain suspects of plotting terror attacks in central Russia, pointing to an arsenal of weapons and two suicide bomber belts that... MORE

Garun Kurbanov, the head of the press service of Dagestan’s president, was shot to death along with his driver in the Dagestani capital Makhachkala yesterday (July 28). The incident took place around 8:15 a.m., local time, near Kurbanov’s home. Both Kurbanov and his driver died... MORE

The history of the conflict resembles a detective novel. One year ago, on July 24, 2010, Doku Umarov, in his capacity as leader of the armed resistance in the North Caucasus, appointed Emir Aslanbek (aka Aslanbek Vadalov) as his future successor. In the same address,... MORE

On July 25, the Russian ministry for regional development unveiled Moscow’s draft plan to invest $140 billion in the development of the North Caucasus over 2012-2025. Most of the investment, $93 billion, will come directly from Russia’s state budget. The funds appear to have been... MORE

On July 12, the leader of the German Green party Cem Oezdemir resigned from the board of trustees of Germany’s Quadriga fund. Oezdemir was one of the first public figures to protest Quadriga’s plan to give an award to Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin. He... MORE

A series of rebel attacks were reported this past week in Dagestan, graphically illustrating that the republic remains the epicenter of insurgent activity in the North Caucasus.In Dagestan’s capital Makhachkala today (July 22), gunmen targeted Col. Akhmed Bataliev, the head of the republic’s center for... MORE