Latest Articles about Domestic/Social
![](/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/762.jpg)
Security Services Set Dagestani Forests on Fire to ‘Smoke Out’ Local Insurgents
In March, the security services in Dagestan revived an environmentally dangerous tactical tool for fighting the regional insurgency—arson attacks on forests. Multiple media outlets and Internet social media confirmed reports of forest fires in several districts in the republic. Deforestation of the already arid republic... MORE
![](/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/Vladimir_Putin_04.jpg)
Putin Takes a Pause, but His Next Move May Be Compulsory
After the rapid sequence of actions culminating in its annexation of Crimea in mid-March, Russia has only slightly increased pressure on Ukraine during the last week. Rather, President Vladimir Putin has taken a pause of sorts in order to consolidate his perceived gains and prepare... MORE
![](/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/Parliament_of_Uzbekistan_-_EDM_March_28__2014.jpg)
Are Recent Constitutional Changes in Uzbekistan Related to Successor Issue?
On March 18, 2014, the Legislative Chamber (lower house) of the parliament of Uzbekistan adopted a law introducing amendments to the Constitution of Uzbekistan. Out of six articles to be amended (Articles 32, 78, 93, 98, 103, 117), the major change that will come as... MORE
![](/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/Burning_forest_in_Dagestan_special_operation_-_EDM_March_28__2014.jpg)
Dagestani Authorities Employ Collective Punishment in Fight Against Rebels
Over three days, 11 people were killed in special operations in Dagestan. Ten of them were identified as members of the armed resistance, while the eleventh casualty was a member of the security forces. Two other servicemen were injured (https://dagestan.kavkaz-uzel.ru/articles/240005/).On March 23, militants attacked a... MORE
![](/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/Ingushetia_car_bullets_-_EDM_March_27__2014.jpg)
Armed Rebels Remain Moscow’s Biggest Problem in Ingushetia
The leadership of Ingushetia is being forced to follow the orders of Kremlin strategists, which define how the situation will evolve in this, the smallest republic in the Russian Federation. Arguably, the most important problem for Moscow in Ingushetia is the armed underground jamaat in... MORE
![](/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/Dmitry_Kiselyov__Russian_TV_-_EDM_March_27__2014.jpg)
Revisionist Radicals Accuse Putin of Being Too Soft on Ukraine, as Russia Takes on Status of Pariah State
President Vladimir Putin’s approval rating has reached a staggering 82.3 percent, the Kremlin-controlled pollster VTsIOM reported this week (March 27). Last January, the same polling outfit reported Putin’s rating at 60.6 percent. The almost bloodless capture and swift annexation of Crimea has been boosting Putin’s... MORE
![](/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/Alyaksandr_Lukashenka_-_EDM_March_26__2014.jpg)
Belarus: The Chernobyl-Scale Fallout From the Crisis in Ukraine
Belarus’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs may have set a record for evasiveness while formulating its March 19 statement vis-à-vis the crisis in Ukraine. “Belarus cannot be indifferent to the events in Ukraine, including the referendum held on March 16, 2014, in the Crimea, and the... MORE
![](/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/Ramzan_Kadyrov_-_EDM_March_26__2014.jpg)
Chechnya’s Ramzan Kadyrov Promises to Invest in Crimea Despite his Financial Dependence on Moscow
Shortly after the swift proclamation of Crimea’s short-lived independence, Ramzan Kadyrov announced that Chechnya would invest in Crimea and build close ties with it. However, Kadyrov’s notorious reputation is more likely to repel the residents of Crimea than win them over. On March 16, as... MORE
![](/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/Bidzina_Ivanishvili_and_Giorgi_Margvelashvili_-_EDM_March_24__2014.jpg)
Rifts Emerge Within the Georgian Dream Coalition
A severe rift appears to be opening up within the ruling Georgian Dream (GD) coalition. Even more so, the coalition might be headed toward complete disintegration as a political alliance. On March 18, Bidzina Ivanishvili, the former prime minister of Georgia and the leader of... MORE
![](/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/Nikolai_Patrushev_-_EDM_March_24__2014.jpg)
Russian Authorities Step up Efforts to Disrupt North Caucasus Insurgency’s Financing
On March 19, Russian Security Council Secretary Nikolai Patrushev held a government meeting in Grozny, Chechnya. Two primary issues were discussed—disrupting the financial channels that feed the insurgents in the North Caucasus and developing additional measures to prevent extremist outbursts in the Russian Federation and,... MORE