Latest Articles about Domestic/Social

Militarization of Regional Policy Leads to Decline of Federalism in Russia

Executive Summary: Russian President Vladimir Putin has increasingly relied on expansionist, militaristic foreign policy in his 25-year rule to centralize power and justify the dissolution of Russian federalism. Moscow has stripped regional governments of the power to economically and socially self-develop, leaving them only able... MORE

Environmental Protest in Russia Again a Seedbed of Political Opposition

Executive Summary: Nominally “apolitical” ecological protests are becoming seedbeds of political activism in Russia because of the importance of the environment to Russian citizens and Moscow’s clumsy approach to its maintenance. The Vladimir Putin regime is increasingly aware of the threat posed by environmental activism... MORE

Widespread Liberalization of Russian Domestic Policy Remains Unlikely

Executive Summary: The Kremlin is reportedly considering “post-war normalization” scenarios, involving the rehabilitation of public figures and return of emigrants who left at the beginning of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine to project internal stability amid prospects for a peace deal with Ukraine. Russia continues... MORE

Russia’s FSB and Law Enforcement Tactics Suppress Opposition

Executive Summary: The Russian Federal Security Service (FSB) has evolved from a traditional security agency into a political repression tool, prioritizing control of dissent rather than addressing actual security threats. The FSB controls key Russian state institutions—including the police, judiciary, and prosecutors—creating a security infrastructure... MORE