Latest Articles about North Caucasus
Moscow Looks to Cossacks to Deal With North Caucasus Instability
The Cossacks first appeared in the Caucasus as they fled their masters in Russia. Hiding in the foothills of the North Caucasus, they absorbed many elements of the lifestyle of the Caucasus highlanders (the Gortsy), from their garments and arms to adopting their mentality. As... MORE
Yamadaev versus Kadyrov: a Sign of a Larger Battle Between the FSB and GRU?
Some Russian observers suggested this week that the latest accusations by Isa Yamadaev against Chechen President, Ramzan Kadyrov, may be part of a larger ongoing power struggle between two Russian intelligence agencies –the Federal Security Service (FSB) and the General Staff’s Main Intelligence Directorate (GRU).On... MORE
Disagreements Over Finances Emerge between Moscow and Chechen Government
Over 5,000 Chechen families have not received compensation earmarked by the Russian government for those who lost their homes and other property during the war. On April 20, Chechnya’s finance ministry promised to disburse the payments by the end of 2010, but it was unclear... MORE
Russia’s Government-Sponsored Expert Community Reaches out to North Caucasus
On April 13 the Civic Chamber of Russia held preliminary hearings on its previous visits to Dagestan, Ingushetia, Karachaevo-Cherkessia and North Ossetia. Journalist Maxim Shevchenko, who is considered to be a Russian government loyalist, led the effort of the government-sponsored Civic Chamber to receive feedback... MORE
The Locus of Instability in the North Caucasus Shifts to Dagestan
President Dmitry Medvedev visited Dagestan on April 1, in an attempt to show his own country and the world that he views militant attacks in Moscow and in the remote province as equally serious (www.gazeta.ru, April 1). Following the heavy blows delivered by suicide bombers... MORE
Soldiers and Policeman Killed and Wounded in Chechnya
Chechnya today (April 16) is marking the first anniversary of the end of the counter-terrorism operation in the republic with what it is calling a Day of Peace –a series of government-organized celebrations and festivities including concerts, sports events, a cross-country automobile/motorcycle race and even,... MORE
Theories Behind Moscow Metro Attacks Abound
On April 11, the Dagestani branch of the Federal Security Service (FSB) declared it was fighting a group of Islamist insurgents led by Magomedali Vagabov in the Karabudakhkent district of Dagestan (Interfax, April 11). Mariam Sharipova, who is thought to have been one of the... MORE
Bombings in Moscow and the North Caucasus Strengthen the Siloviki
The shock of the double terrorist attack in Moscow metro on March 29 is subsiding, however the follow-up suicide explosions in Dagestan and Ingushetia confirm that the North Caucasus is not going through just another upsurge of instability but is engulfed by a local civil... MORE
Attacks Reported in Ingushetia, Dagestan, Chechnya and Kabardino-Balkaria
Violence has continued in the North Caucasus over the past week in the wake of the March 29 bombings in the Moscow metro, which killed 40 people and were reportedly carried out by two female suicide bombers from Dagestan, and a March 31 suicide bombing... MORE
Chechnya’s Parliament Criticizes Russian Presidential Envoy in the North Caucasus
On March 31, Chechnya’s parliament issued a statement expressing its disapproval of the presidential envoy to the North Caucasus, Alexander Khloponin. According to the Chechen parliament, delays in changes in the socio-economic development of the region were disappointing and could potentially damage President Dmitry Medvedev’s... MORE