On January 1, the head of the criminal police department of Untsukul district, Magomedrasul Makachev, was gunned down in his own home. Untsukul is an area in the Dagestani mountains that is known for its strong Islamic traditions and formidable, unending fight against government forces... MORE

New trends in Russian defense spending signal a return towards militarization. In the past decade, defense spending increased from 141 billion rubles to 2,025 trillion rubles without leading to a growth in deliveries, as these figures were consumed by rising costs for modernizing old models... MORE

Since the highly ambitious reform of Russia’s conventional armed forces was launched, December became a month for setting out future plans, achieving key targets or making various claims about its “success.” December 2009, for instance, marked the official completion of the transition to the brigade-based... MORE

Russia’s procurement of French Mistral-class warships, as agreed at Christmas 2010 (EDM, January 3, 2011), is by far the largest among ongoing transactions between West European arms producers and Russia. The military industries and governments of France and Italy are rushing ahead of others for... MORE

On December 29, 2010, a prominent Circassian ethnographer, Arsen Tsipinov, was gunned down at the doorsteps of his home in a suburb of Nalchik, the capital of Kabardino-Balkaria. Tsipinov was known for his active role in promoting Circassian ethnic identity and culture. The ethnographer’s killing... MORE

On Christmas Eve (December 24, 2010) the Kremlin and Elysee Palace jointly announced a definitive agreement for Russian procurement of two French Mistral-class power projection warships, with two more planned for a follow-up stage. Presidents Dmitry Medvedev and Nicolas Sarkozy exchanged congratulations over this deal... MORE

In May 2009, Ali Salim al-Beidh officially reentered Yemeni politics with a speech addressed to his former constituents in southern Yemen. In the speech, al-Beidh called on southern Yemenis to continue their struggle against what he calls the military occupation of the south by the... MORE

Chechen rebel commander Aslambek Vadalov (a.k.a. Amir Aslambek), who was briefly named as the leader of the North Caucasus rebels this past summer, is becoming a rising star of the Chechen separatist movement due to his military exploits inside Chechnya. Rumored to be the architect of... MORE

As South Sudan’s referendum on independence draws nearer, the international community is preparing for the possible division of Sudan into two independent states. With signs of growing tensions and several issues still to be resolved by negotiations—notably agreements on the demarcation of a north-south border... MORE

China’s assertiveness along its littoral—underscored by recent diplomatic disputes in the East China Sea and the South China Sea—has raised international concerns about how Beijing intends to project its growing military power.  While certainly worthy of attention, a narrow focus on Chinese activities along the... MORE