Russia’s military build-up in Syria has provoked international speculation as to the motives and aims underlying what might prove to be the country’s first out-of-area operation since the dissolution of the Soviet Union. Clues about this Syria gambit emerged during the strategic-operational military exercise Tsentr... MORE

The United Nations General Assembly will hear today (September 28) the long-promised address by President Vladimir Putin, which is unlikely to contain any shocking surprises. The main content of his initiative on bringing the devastating civil war in Syria to an end has already been... MORE

President Vladimir Putin is heading to New York to address the United Nations with a strong hand, while his United States counterpart, Barack Obama, seems weak and indecisive. According to Putin’s press secretary Dmitry Peskov, the summit with Obama on September 28 will be dominated... MORE

The Russian media ramped up coverage of Syria after reports emerged that the Russian military is actively taking part in the conflict on the side of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. To distract Russian citizens from domestic issues and justify intervention in the conflict, the authorities... MORE

On September 19, following his one-on-one meeting in Sochi with Belarusian President Alyaksandr Lukashenka, Russia’s President Vladimir Putin issued an order to launch negotiations with Belarus about the creation of a new Russian airbase near Bobruisk (Tut.by, September 19). Vigorous discussion in Belarus, this past... MORE

On August 25, an explosion occurred on a Turkish natural gas pipeline that connects to the South Caucasus Pipeline, which transports gas from Azerbaijan, through Georgia, and into Turkey (Anadolu Agency, August 25). According to the Turkish press, the militant organization the Kurdistan Worker’s Party... MORE

Even more than most continental powers, Russia for more than a century has relied on railroads to move massive amounts of men and materiel to respond to military challenges—a reflection of Russia’s size and underdeveloped highway system. But today, in contrast to Soviet times, Russia’s... MORE

Russia’s Armed Forces and security bodies have concluded the primary military exercise of the combat training year. The strategic-operational exercise Tsentr 2015 was the largest of the year, modeling an intervention in Central Asia under the umbrella of the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO). The... MORE

The Arctic is seemingly becoming an object of multipolar contention. President Barack Obama’s recent visit to the Arctic and call for construction of a new icebreaker and Arctic-capable commercial vessels triggered a flurry of commentary that the United States is now competing with Russia in... MORE

Politicians in the North Caucasus are increasingly calling on the government to step up efforts against the so-called Islamic State (IS) and take action against Russian citizens who support it. Meanwhile, the militants who became affiliated with the IS in the North Caucasus one year... MORE