Latest Articles about Military/Security
Crisis Looms for Moscow’s Policies in the Northwest Caucasus
On June 6, the Caucasus Times reported a massive influx of Russian security forces into Kabardino-Balkaria. According to the website, an estimated 2,000 servicemen were deployed overnight in the republic, with the principal city of Kabardino-Balkaria, Nalchik, being patrolled by Russian military intelligence (Glavnoye Razvedyvatel'noye... MORE
Economic and Defense Ties Between Turkey and Israel in Crisis
In the wake of the flotilla crisis between Israel and Turkey, attention is shifting to the question of what this development might mean for their bilateral relationship. Angered by the Israeli army’s treatment of Turkish citizens seeking to break Israel’s blockage of Gaza, which resulted... MORE
EU Disappointed by Medvedev’s “Modernization”
The 25th Russia-EU summit this week in Rostov-on-Don had a new format as the President of the European Commission, Jose Manuel Barroso, was for the first time accompanied by the President of the European Council, Herman Van Rompuy. There were all the usual handshakes, friendly... MORE
Militant Attacks Reported in Dagestan, Kabardino-Balkaria and Ingushetia
The head of administration of Dagestan’s Magaramkentsky district, Azadi Shikhbabaev, was killed today (June 4) when unidentified gunmen opened fire on the car in which he was driving in the village of Magaramkent. His driver was wounded in the attack and hospitalized. The attackers escaped... MORE
Europol Report Suggests Separatism Rather than Islamism Constitutes Biggest Terrorist Threat to Europe
Europol, a European Union law enforcement agency dedicated to improving the effectiveness and cooperation of member states’ security agencies, released its annual report on terrorism in Europe on April 28. [1] The report provides an overview of the current situation regarding terrorism in Europe and... MORE
Who Was Behind the Recent Bombing in Stavropol?
Against the background of Chechen President, Ramzan Kadyrov’s, growing concerns about the number of rebels operating throughout Chechnya (EDM, May 28), it has been decided in the capital Grozny to set up a special commission charged with counting how many Chechens are in fact engaged... MORE
Russian Military Prepares for Vostok 2010
Preparations are intensifying ahead of the Russian operational-strategic military exercise, Vostok 2010, scheduled for June 29 to July 8 in the Siberian and Far East military districts involving more than 10,000 servicemen under the command of Army-General, Nikolai Makarov, the Chief of the General Staff.... MORE
Attack in North Caucasus’ Safest City Casts Doubts on Moscow’s Policies in the Region
Seven people died and over 40 were injured following the explosion near a concert hall in Stavropol on May 26. As of May 31, 32 people remained in the local hospital for treatment, five of whom were in critical condition (www.kavkaz-uzel.ru, May 31). According to... MORE
Chechen Fighters Hold their Ground Against Kadyrov
North Caucasus rebels have recently intensified their activity in Russia’s Kabardino-Balkaria and Dagestan republics, and Chechnya does not seem to be an exception. Chechnya’s leader, Ramzan Kadyrov, made yet another attempt last week to come up with an estimate on the total number of rebels... MORE
Stavropol Bombing – A Case of Russian Nationalists Targeting Chechens?
Today (May 28) was an official day of mourning in Stavropol Krai for seven people killed in the May 26 bomb blast in the city of Stavropol. A bomb packed with steel pellets hidden in a juice carton detonated near the city’s Palace of Culture,... MORE