Latest Articles about North Caucasus
Success Eludes the Presidential Envoy to the North Caucasus
Six months after Aleksandr Khloponin was appointed as the Russian president’s envoy to the specially created North Caucasus Federal District, it can be safely concluded that he has not brought anything new or particularly important to Russia’s troubled region. An attempt to shift Russia’s policy... MORE
Videos Attest to the Involvement of Dagestanis in the Moscow Metro Attacks
On June 20, the Sunday Times published an article on the two Dagestani women suspected of carrying out the twin suicide bombings on the Moscow metro last March, Maryam Sharipova and Dzhanet Abdurakhmanova, and included videos on its website. Sharipova, 28-year-old teacher, and 17-year-old Abdurakhmanova... MORE
No Let-Up in Attacks in Dagestan and Kabardino-Balkaria
Violence continued unabated this week in Dagestan, which increasingly appears to be the new focal point of insurgent activity in the North Caucasus.Earlier today (June 18), unidentified attackers fired automatic weapons from a car at a vehicle in which Russian servicemen were riding in the... MORE
Moscow’s Biggest Victory over the North Caucasus Rebels Since Fall 2000
The Federal Security Service (FSB) of the Russian Federation announced that on June 9, the leader of the Ingush Jamaat, Emir Magas (aka, Ahmed Yevloev or Ali Taziev), was captured during a special operation conducted in the Ingush town of Malgobek. It was the first... MORE
Russian Leadership Forced to Personally Monitor the Situation in the North Caucasus
On June 14, President Dmitry Medvedev made an unannounced visit to Chechnya. This was his first trip to Chechnya as president of Russia. The trip resembled a state visit, with the Russian president laying flowers at the grave of Akhmad Kadyrov, the first pro-Moscow president... MORE
The Capture of Magas May Prove to be More of a Challenge Than a Triumph for the Kremlin
On June 9, Russian news agencies broke the news about the capture in Malgobek, Ingushetia, of the military commander of the Caucasus Emirate, nicknamed Emir Magas (RIA Novosti, June 9). Such a high-ranking leader of the North Caucasus insurgency had not been apprehended since 2000,... MORE
Will Captured Ingush Rebel Leader Die in Prison to Ensure his Silence?
Russian counter-insurgency efforts in the North Caucasus scored some major successes this week, with the capture of the top Ingush rebel leader and the reported killing of a group of rebels in Chechnya. But, according to a leading Moscow newspaper, the capture of Ali Taziev,... MORE
Dagestan’s Security Situation is Becoming Hopeless
The first days of June in Dagestan have been especially disturbing for the local and federal authorities. Unidentified gunmen opened fire at the Atashka roadside café in the village of Untsukul in Dagestan’s Khasavyurt district and virtually all local stores and other places selling alcoholic... MORE
Crisis Looms for Moscow’s Policies in the Northwest Caucasus
On June 6, the Caucasus Times reported a massive influx of Russian security forces into Kabardino-Balkaria. According to the website, an estimated 2,000 servicemen were deployed overnight in the republic, with the principal city of Kabardino-Balkaria, Nalchik, being patrolled by Russian military intelligence (Glavnoye Razvedyvatel'noye... MORE
More Disagreements Emerge Between Abkhaz and Russian Interests
On June 1, the head of Abkhazia’s state committee on tourism, Tengiz Lakerbaya, lashed out at Sochi Mayor, Anatoly Pakhomov, for publicly diminishing Abkhazia’ touristic value. The criticism followed comments made by Pakhomov on May 28, when he said that Abkhazia had once been popular... MORE