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Russia's Railways Are Hard to Knock Off Track and Crucial for the War

Russia's Defense Ministry and railway network are led by the same man. Despite multiple strikes, Kyiv has struggled to inflict long-lasting damage.

Samantha Berkhead and Pyotr Kozlov

Why the Families of Russia’s Regional Elites Still Covet Life in the West

Putin's alleged daughter living in France is far from the only example.

The Wagner Group Is Leaving Mali. But Russian Mercenaries Aren't Going Anywhere.

It is unsurprising that regional forces are becoming disillusioned with Russian guns for hire that promise security but bring chaos.

Armenia Is Breaking Up With Russia – And Putin Can’t Stop It

Armenia has learned the hard way that Moscow doesn't keep its promises. It is done waiting for a protector that never delivers.

‘I’m Not Leaving Until They Throw Me Out’: Why 70% of Italian Businesses in Russia Are Still There

While most international businesses pulled out of Russia over the war, Italian companies with large appetites for risk have stayed.

Why Is Bashkortostan Getting a Ukrainian Cultural Center?

Unpacking a mystifying move by the Kremlin-loyal head of Bashkortostan.

How Putin Turned Against Tech and 'Strangled' Russia's Silicon Dreams

Putin's obsession with control is killing Russia's chances for innovation as tech talent flees abroad and homegrown alternatives fail.

Ukraine's Audacious Drone Attacks Are a Recipe for Russian Paranoia

If the FSB cannot monitor threats under its own nose to keep Russians safe, what can it do?

Valery Panyushkin

Russia's Potato Dilemma Risks Causing a Health Crisis

People won't stop eating potatoes because they're too expensive. But they will stop eating more nutritious food, which will cause huge problems.

I Was Invited to Discuss a Post-Putin Russia. Here's What I Heard.

I expected the discussions to be detached from reality. But I was pleasantly surprised by the grounded solutions offered for real problems.

James D. J. Brown

What Will the U.S. Golden Dome Missile Defense Mean for Russia?

The Golden Dome will press Russia into a new arms race, forcing it to devote yet more resources to its strategic forces when it can least afford it.

How the Circassian Genocide Remains an Inconvenient Truth for the Kremlin

The Circassian Day of Mourning spotlights a genocide that Moscow still refuses to acknowledge.

Ukraine Stands Ready to Return All POWs. Why Won't Russia?

Rather than free its own citizens, Moscow would rather hold Ukrainians captive and hide evidence that it is torturing prisoners of war.

How Donetsk Was Taught to Be Russian

I spent my childhood in Donetsk. At school, we were taught to admire Russia. Life would be very different if we were taught about Moscow's crimes.

Trump-Putin Call Signals Risky Shift Toward Appeasement Through Trade

Russia is a huge market. But with Europe staying the course of sanctions, American countries looking to trade with Russia face enormous risks.

Stalin Is Making a Comeback in Russia. Here's Why.

Once sidelined even by his Soviet successors, Stalin is returning to Russia's public sphere as Putin positions himself as an unassailable strongman.

Will Putin Tap Tatarstan’s Global Appeal for the Russia-U.S. Rapprochement?

The republic of Tatarstan, which once strove to break away from Russia, has become indispensable to realizing the Kremlin’s grand foreign policy ambitions...

Elena Davlikanova

How a Tribunal for Putin Could Save Russia

The Nuremberg Trials didn't eliminate fascism in Germany. But they helped discredit it. The same needs to happen with Russia.

Andras Toth-Czifra

Meet Russia's Weirdest Regional Governor. He Could Become the New Norm.

Examining Georgy Filimonov's leadership of Vologda could indicate the direction Russia's regional governance is going in.

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