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In Russia’s Dagestan, Iran-Israel Conflict Hits Close to Home

As the U.S. struck Iranian nuclear facilities, the risk of radioactive contamination reaching Dagestan brought the hostilities into stark relief.

Alexander Shulga

Moldova Is the Testing Ground for Russia's Disinformation Machine

Moldova's upcoming parliamentary elections could see Moscow test out tactics to use in other European countries.

Joshua R. Kroeker

While the World Watched the Middle East, This Happened in Ukraine

The situation has not been this dire since the early days of the full-scale invasion. But the difference is that Western resolve is far weaker.

Andras Toth-Czifra

A Push For Local Government Efficiency in Russia Is Really About Kremlin Control

Reforms sweeping Russia will hit the levels of government Russians are most likely to interact with and strengthen the power of local elites.

Denis Mikhailov

The Kremlin Finally Acknowledged Russia Holds Political Prisoners. That’s a Big Step.

Moscow used to say that political prisoners were common criminals. But the acknowledgement that they exist has an ulterior motive.

As the New Syrian Regime Gains Legitimacy, It Is Pushing Russia Out

Moscow risks losing its foothold in the Middle East as Syria has other options beyond turning to the pariah state.

In Altai Republic, a Kremlin-Backed Government Reform Aids the Tycoons

Despite staging one of Russia's largest wartime protests, Altai's peoples are set to lose political representation and in some cases their livelihoods...

Sarkis Darbinyan

Western Tech Companies Are Capitulating to Russian Censors. Here's How Russians Can Fight Back.

Both Google and Apple have been making VPNs inaccessible at Moscow's request. Thankfully, there are still ways Russians can use the internet freely.

Putin’s Davos Reduced to Taliban, Nepo Babies and Pariah States

The St Petersburg International Economic Forum used to be a hub of global dealmaking. Now it is a glitzy playground wrapped in state propaganda.

Ruslan Suleymanov

Putin Wants to Mediate Between Israel and Iran. Is That Even Possible?

Vladimir Putin has long managed to maintain relations with the Middle Eastern powers despite them standing at loggerheads.

How Autistic People Are Caught in Russia's War on Difference

Russia weaponizes psychiatry to control anyone who does not fit in, catching autistic people in the crossfire.

Russia's Opposition Fears the Country's Disintegration. If It Happens, It Would Be Their Own Doing.

A recent opposition event revealed the unhealthy power dynamic between the ethnic Russian majority and the few Indigenous attendees present.

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.

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