Latest Articles about The Caucasus
“Palace Coup” Reveals Split between Umarov and Rebel Commander Aslanbek Vadalov
The past week was filled with surprising and confusing changes in the leadership of the North Caucasus rebels. First, Doku Umarov’s plan to appoint a successor as leader of the North Caucasus rebels has ended up in his trivial resignation on health grounds. Still, Umarov... MORE
North Caucasus Human Rights Activists Introduce Counter-Measures to Thwart Illegal Detentions
On July 29, six people from the village of Komsomolskoe in northern Dagestan’s Kizilyurt were abducted by unidentified assailants. On August 1, one of those abducted, Kaitmaz Magomedov, was released, apparently by law enforcement agencies without explanation (www.kavkaz-uzel.ru, August 1). As of August 3, the... MORE
Moscow Grows Weary Over Kadyrov’s Excessive Independence
On July 30, the primary news outlet of the Chechen militants, Kavkaz Center, citing its own sources, reported Moscow was preparing a drastic shift in its policies in the North Caucasus. According to the website, the main points of Moscow’s new plan for the North... MORE
Caucasus Emirate Leader Chooses a Successor
In response to the thunderous and inconsequential pronouncements made by Russia’s power structures and top-ranking officials about the situation in the North Caucasus, rebel groups there have been striking Russian interests across the region as if to refute Russian claims. Over the past week, there... MORE
Russia Adds Poison to its Counter-Insurgency Arsenal in the North Caucasus
The Rosbalt news agency reported yesterday (July 29) that the Russian special services have killed at least 17 Chechen rebels, including rebel “leaders,” over the last seven months by poisoning their food. Noting that Russia’s special services reportedly carried out a successful operation to poison... MORE
Armenia and Karabakh Encouraged by UN Court Ruling on Kosovo
Authorities in Armenia and Karabakh have reacted very positively to the July 22 decision by the highest UN court to uphold the legality of Kosovo’s 2008 declaration of independence from Serbia. They say it strengthens the Armenian case for international recognition of Karabakh’s de facto... MORE
Inter-Ethnic Brawl in Tuapse Reveals Deep Tension in Russo-Chechen Relations
On July 25, a large-scale fistfight broke out between Chechen youths and the local Russian population near Tuapse, a port town on the Black Sea in the Krasnodar region. Four hundred Chechen youths and children along with their older caretakers were on holiday in the... MORE
Attack on Kabardino-Balkaria Hydroelectric Plant Exposes Government’s Weakness
On July 21, a group of militants in Kabardino-Balkaria launched a bold attack on the Baksan hydroelectric plant, ransacked the facility and rendering it unusable after a series of explosions. Two policemen who were guarding the plant were killed in the raid. The attack drew... MORE
Gorbachev Warns of Explosive Problems With Medvedev’s “Modernization”
Russian President, Dmitry Medvedev, concentrated on the European direction of his modernization-focused foreign policy last week, making working visits to Finland and Italy. Both countries are Russia’s close partners and the trips were problem-free, with a healthy sweat in a sauna with Finnish President, Tarja... MORE
Railway and Hydroelectric Engineer Targeted in Dagestan
Attacks apparently carried out by insurgents and attacking infrastructure have been reported in Dagestan in the wake of the daring attack earlier this week on the Baksan hydropower station in Kabardino-Balkaria. Russian news agencies reported that an improvised explosive device (IED) went off today (July... MORE