Latest Articles about The Caucasus
Violence in Dagestan Shows No Sign of Letting Up
Violence continued in Dagestan over the last several days, following the militant attacks in the republican capital of Makhachkala on November 11, in which eleven people – seven policemen and four militants – were killed.Unidentified attackers fired grenade launchers early today (November 19) at a... MORE
Additional Buildup of Military Forces in Dagestan Proceeds with Caution
On November 14, Russian Deputy Interior Minister, Nikolai Rogozhkin, who is commander of the ministry’s internal troops, announced the first native Dagestani military detachment formation. The new unit is comprised of 300 people and eventually will grow to 700 servicemen. Rogozhkin concisely expressed Moscow’s hopes:... MORE
Moscow’s Approach to the North Caucasus Looks Increasingly Deluded
Russian Interior Minister Rashid Nurgaliev had to admit recently that 454 terrorist acts and 510 offenses of extremist nature were committed in Russia in the first nine months of 2010. It would have been odd if the minister had blamed the Russian authorities for the... MORE
Kremlin Plan for Resettling Unemployed Ingush in Sverdlovsk Falters
Ingush settlers who come to Russia’s Sverdlovsk region, located in the Ural mountains, in search of work have found little employment and government support. “From the very beginning, this widely advertised [Ingush resettlement] program was doomed to failure,” the former representative of Ingushetia in Sverdlovsk... MORE
2010 Census Data is Adjusted to Meet Kremlin Priorities in the North Caucasus
On November 9, the Kavkazsky Uzel (Caucasian Knot) website reported the Russian statistical service’s intention to double check the October 2010 census results for Chechnya and Ingushetia. The process will take place hundreds of miles away in the Russian city of Rostov-on-Don and is projected... MORE
Militants Target Dagestani Law Enforcement Personnel in Republic Capital
Unidentified attackers shot up the home of a policeman in the village of Sergokala in Dagestan’s Sergokalinsky district late yesterday (November 11). The gunmen fired automatic weapons but no one was hurt in the incident, which capped a particularly violent day in Dagestan, with eleven... MORE
Dagestan Leader Follows Steps of Kadyrov
Actions taken recently by the local leadership in Dagestan have become increasingly reminiscent of the policy carried out by Ramzan Kadyrov, the pro-Russian leader of Chechnya. Shortly after an all-Chechen congress was held in the Chechen capital of Grozny from October 13-14, the Dagestani authorities... MORE
Dagestan Tries to Win Popular Support for Its Struggle with Insurgents
On November 2, Dagestan’s President, Magomedsalam Magomedov, signed a decree to set up a commission for the social rehabilitation of former militants. The commission is designed to help militants who wish to return to peaceful life re-integrate into society. Only three of the commission’s 14... MORE
Moscow Pushes New Armenian-Azerbaijani Peace Deal
Russian President, Dmitry Medvedev, has expressed “moderate” optimism about a near-term resolution of the Karabakh conflict after hosting yet another meeting of his Armenian and Azerbaijani counterparts. The talks held in the southern Russian city of Astrakhan on October 27 underscored Moscow’s key role in... MORE
Ramzan Kadyrov’s Regime is Unable to Cope with Sagging Chechen Economy
On November 4, mass protests occurred in Chechnya. Workers with the state construction firm Spetsstroi stayed off the job after not having been paid for four months, and went back to work only after they were promised that they would soon receive their back pay.... MORE