On October 3, Russian Interior Minister Rashid Nurgaliev met the head of Dagestan’s government, Magomedsalam Magomedov, in Makhachkala. “The degree of the terrorist threat testifies that Dagestan is in the worst state [compared with] the other republics of the North Caucasian Federal District,” Nurgaliev concluded... MORE

Reportedly, the US Ambassador to Russia, John Beyrle, is optimistic that Moscow and Washington will agree by May 2012 (prior to NATO’s Chicago Summit) on an information exchange system on missile defenses (UPI, RIA Novosti, October 3). However, Russian official and press statements remain utterly... MORE

After a year of media speculation and contradictory remarks by Tajik and Russian officials, the authorities in Dushanbe have finally made it clear that Tajikistan does not want Russian troops to return to defend the country’s southern border with Afghanistan.Tajikistan and Russia are expected to... MORE

The crucial importance of reforming command and control (C2) in Russia’s conventional armed forces featured prominently in the agenda of President Dmitry Medvedev when he met military district commanders during Tsentr-2008. Medvedev explained that the imminent reform would be determined by five key factors including... MORE

At a press conference in Karachaevo-Cherkessia on October 1, Moscow’s envoy to the North Caucasus, Aleksandr Khloponin, admitted that the North Caucasus still has excessive unemployment. Khloponin stated that the situation is especially “lamentable” in Dagestan, Chechnya and Ingushetia. At the same time, Moscow’s envoy... MORE

Much criticized for its inability to meet regional challenges, the Russian-led Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) is seeking to boost its image in Central Asia. The organization’s latest military drills “Tsentr-2011” were focused on helping Central Asian states to meet newly emerging domestic challenges. For... MORE

A number of insurgency-related incidents were reported in Dagestan and Ingushetia this past week. Dagestan’s Interior Ministry reported today (September 30) that an arms cache was discovered on the outskirts of the village of Toturbiikala in the republic’s Khasavyurt district yesterday (September 29), and that... MORE

The People’s Liberation Army (PLA) is conducting a major reform of the Noncommissioned Officer (NCO) corps in recognition of the key role NCOs can play supporting force modernization, warfighting and new missions. Since 1999, quality improvements and a significant expansion of the NCO corps are... MORE

Sino-Russian relations appear to be picking up the tempo with frequent high-level visits taking place in recent months. Last week, the top Chinese military officer, Vice Chairman of the Central Military Commission, Gen. Guo Boxiong, met with Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin and top Russian... MORE

Since coming to power in February 1999, Venezuelan president Hugo Chavez has waged a highly visible campaign against the U.S. and Western “imperialism” in Latin America, replete with fiery rhetoric, nationalization of strategic industries, the creation of alternative regional institutions, support for a range of... MORE