Latest Articles about The Caucasus
Armored Trains Return to the Russian North Caucasus
A weapon thought by many to belong to military museums is making a return to active anti-insurgency operations in the North Caucasus: the armored train. First used for such purposes in the American Civil War, armored trains and the tactics associated with their use were... MORE
British Delegation Notes “Progress” and “Climate of Fear” in Chechnya
On February 16-17, a delegation of the British parliament’s committee on human rights visited Chechnya. A member of the delegation, Lord Frank Judd, who was formerly the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) rapporteur for Chechnya, stated that he was impressed by the... MORE
Yevkurov’s Bloody Ramsons
A special operation in the vicinity of settlements of Arshty and Dattykh ended along the lines of a classic phrase authored by former Russian Prime Minister Viktor Chernomyrdin: “We wanted the best, but it turned out as it always does.” This broadly advertised operation implemented... MORE
Moscow Struggles to Control and Modernize the North Caucasus
On February 16, President Dmitry Medvedev met the President of the World Bank, Robert Zoellick. The World Bank’s possible involvement in the development of the North Caucasus became one of the three main topics of their discussion. This may signify a major retreat from the... MORE
Russia Struggles to Establish a Viable Military Base in Abkhazia
This week, the Abkhaz separatist leader, Sergei Bagapsh, arrived in Moscow to sign a number of deals with President Dmitry Medvedev on military, logistical, financial and economic cooperation. The Russian military have been officially allowed to establish a permanent “unified military base” in Abkhazia for... MORE
Kadyrov and Rights Activists Struggle to Find Common Ground Amid Killings of Civilians
On February 15, a court in Moscow dropped the case against the liberal newspaper Novaya Gazeta brought by Chechen President Ramzan Kadyrov. The Chechen leader had appealed to the court to prosecute the paper and several well-known Russian human rights activists on defamation charges, but... MORE
Upsurge in Violence in Chechnya Since the Counter-Terrorism Operation’s Official End
Law-enforcement sources in Ingushetia reported today (February 12) that 20 suspected rebels have been killed and an interior ministry internal troops serviceman wounded in a battle between security forces and a group of around 30 militants in the republic’s Sunzha district that is reportedly still... MORE
Armenia Showcases Iran Ties, as Talks With Azerbaijan and Turkey Falter
Armenia is showcasing its close relationship with Iran at a delicate time in its negotiations with two other, less friendly neighbors: Azerbaijan and Turkey. With the normalization of Turkish-Armenian relations and the resolution of the Karabakh conflict looking increasingly problematic, authorities in Yerevan seem to... MORE
Despite Official PR, North Caucasus Situation Remains Volatile
Against the backdrop of Moscow’s attempts to find new ways of changing the situation in the North Caucasus one can observe the militants becoming more active in the region. In previous years, militants’ activity slowed in the winter, but as of last year their strategy... MORE
Medvedev Picks Candidate With Long-Standing Political Ties as Dagestan’s President
On February 8, President Dmitry Medvedev announced his decision to recommend that the Dagestani parliament appoint Magomedsalam Magomedov as president of Dagestan (RIA Novosti, February 8).The announcement came less than two weeks before the term of the current president, Mukhu Aliev, expires. Magomedsalam Magomedov was... MORE