Executive Summary: The Kremlin announced that it will more than double the budget for the All-Russian Cossack Society in 2025 at the beginning of November, indicating plans to expand their roles in Russian society, including activities in occupied Ukrainian territories. Cossacks are being integrated into... MORE

Executive Summary: A joint meeting of the Foreign Ministry Collegiums of Russia and Belarus occurred on November 22, emphasizing deepening Belarus-Russia cooperation under the Union State framework, with new agreements on joint security and coordinated foreign policy. Russia extended its nuclear doctrine to cover Belarus,... MORE

Executive Summary: Russia faces a severe economic crisis, with inflation rates significantly exceeding official figures. Efforts to combat inflation through high interest rates have slowed economic growth and investment, leading to risks of an economic downturn. The Kremlin is prioritizing war funding at the expense... MORE

Executive Summary: Russia has expanded its ties with groups such as Hezbollah, Hamas, and the Houthis, leveraging its relationship with Iran’s so-called “Axis of Resistance” to increase geopolitical influence through military and security cooperation, including supplying weapons and conducting diplomatic engagements. Moscow is not pursuing... MORE

(Part One) Executive Summary: The Kremlin formally approved a new nuclear doctrine on November 19, following the West’s authorization for Ukraine to utilize its deep strike capabilities on Russian territory. The revised document is directed at Western powers and aims to address the potential escalation... MORE

Executive Summary: As Russia’s war in Ukraine passes the 1,000-day mark, Russian President Vladimir Putin’s strategy has turned to escalatory steps aimed at undermining Ukraine’s will to resist and weakening Western resolve to confront Russian aggression. The change in Russia’s nuclear doctrine, deployment of North... MORE

Executive Summary: Ukraine is reviving its Soviet-era missile expertise to develop modern capabilities, reducing reliance on Western technology and circumventing restrictions on imported weapons while boosting defense self-sufficiency. The relaxation of Western restrictions, particularly the US decision to allow limited use of long-range missile systems... MORE

Executive Summary: Russia launched a new intermediate-range ballistic missile (IRBM) against Ukraine for the first time on November 21, targeting the city of Dnipro and Ukraine’s military-industrial complex in retaliation for Ukraine’s use of Western-supplied long-range weapons against Russian territory. Russia’s strike against Ukraine, coinciding... MORE

Executive Summary: Over the past several months, Russian propaganda and reputable analytical platforms close to the Kremlin have increasingly threatened to use nuclear weapons against the West. On the one hand, these threats are intended to frighten the West, but on the other, Russian propagandists... MORE

Executive Summary:  Russia’s war in Ukraine has inflicted unprecedented losses on Russian forces, with significant casualties disproportionately affecting regions with large Cossack populations. The Russian government, however, romanticizes Cossack history across society to increase militarization in Russian society. The war has been infused with religious... MORE