Executive Summary: Russia’s draft 2026 budget cuts military spending by $2.4 billion compared to 2025 while boosting funding for state-run media by 54 percent, signaling a potential pivot toward intensified information warfare. The Kremlin’s informational tactics are tailored to domestic, Western, and Ukrainian audiences, seeking... MORE

Executive Summary: President Vladimir Putin has entrusted First Deputy Chief of Staff Sergei Kiriyenko with even greater responsibilities after relieving Dmitry Kozak of his duties as deputy head of Russia’s Presidential Administration. In recent years, Kiriyenko has significantly expanded his influence, both in managing domestic... MORE

Executive Summary: Moldova’s pro-European ruling party retained its majority in the September 24 parliamentary elections despite Moscow’s attempts to influence the elections in favor of pro-Russian parties. A series of setbacks in Russia’s policy toward Moldova undermined the position of Dmitry Kozak, former deputy chief... MORE

Executive Summary: Russia’s Foreign Intelligence Service (SVR) and siloviki-linked Telegram channels are promoting disinformation of a purported plan for a European “occupation” of Transnistria and subsequent attack on Russian forces in the region, in what appears to be a coordinated campaign. These channels are aiming... MORE

Executive Summary: A new report by the Xinhua Institute argues that U.S. “cognitive warfare” attempts to “colonize” the minds of people across the world, in particular in global south countries. American influence is framed as ideological infiltration designed to generate social conflicts, undermine stability, and... MORE

Executive Summary: Beijing and Budapest have reportedly finalized the details of an extradition treaty that reflects Beijing’s growing involvement in Hungary’s internal security. The new treaty comes as the People’s Republic of China (PRC) has begun investing heavily in various sectors of the Hungarian economy.... MORE

Executive Summary: The Kremlin is systematically erasing Ukrainian identity in occupied regions to solidify long-term submission and control by banning Ukrainian in schools, rewriting history, and indoctrinating children.  In the occupied territories, the Kremlin is linking Russian citizenship to access to healthcare, SIM cards, and... MORE

Executive Summary: The Moscow Patriarchate is taking steps to increase its usefulness to Russian President Vladimir Putin in Russia and abroad to offset its declining power and influence across the former Soviet space. The Moscow Patriarchate is aiding the Kremlin in promoting traditional values and... MORE

Executive Summary: Beijing is operationalizing its cross-Strait unification strategy through bureaucratic embedding and military-civil fusion, with Fujian Province as the central staging ground. The 17th Straits Forum in June served as a propaganda instrument to showcase apparent Taiwanese grassroots support, while parallel PLA developments contradict... MORE

Executive Summary: A recent joint investigation by the Balkan Investigative Reporting Network (BIRN) and Moldovan outlet CU SENS confirmed that Moscow had established secret paramilitary camps in the Balkans to train Moldovan citizens in destabilization tactics ahead of Moldova’s October 2024 presidential elections. The Kremlin... MORE