RUSSIA / FSU POLITICS
Analysts
Alexei Panin
Co-Managing Director, Urus Advisory
Alex Teddy
Co-Managing Director, Urus AdvisoryRecent Country Insights
Georgians protest against foreign agents' bill
RUSSIA / FSU POLITICS · In Brief · 18 Apr 2024
On April 17 thousands of people demonstrated near parliament. They want the government to drop the foreign agents' bill. Western governments and Georgians civil society have said that it will have a chilling effect on dissidents and human rights. Critics say the bill is based on its Russian equiv...
Russian peacekeepers will withdraw from Azerbaijan
RUSSIA / FSU POLITICS · In Brief · 17 Apr 2024
On April 17 Putin's spokesman made the announcement. After the 2020 war Russia mediated peace between Armenia and Azerbaijan. The peace agreement provided for 1 500 Russian troops to keep the peace in Nagorno Karabakh. The region is legally Azerbaijani but was then ethnically almost exclusively A...
Floods threaten Russian cities
RUSSIA / FSU POLITICS · In Brief · 16 Apr 2024
Flooding has gotten worse in Russia and Kazakhstan in mid April. An unusually early and warm spring caused snow and ice to melt abruptly. The premature and sudden thaw means that rivers have burst their banks. Heavy rains have aggravated the situation. The Ishim River, which flows from Kazakhstan...
Uzbekistan represses Islamists
RUSSIA / FSU POLITICS · In Brief · 15 Apr 2024
In April 2024 the Uzbek government responded to the March 2024 Crocus City Hall attacks in Moscow by ramping up police action against those suspected of religious extremism and terrorism. The police have searched the residences of suspects. The public have been told not to put their children into...
Ban on Russian metals by the US and UK
RUSSIA / FSU POLITICS · In Brief · 15 Apr 2024
On April 12 the announcement was made as part of the drive to reduce revenue that funds the Russian war effort. The metals targeted are nickel, copper and aluminum. The sanctions also reduce the use of these metals in the world metal exchanges and in derivatives trading. The Chicago Mercantile Ex...
Russia destroys Ukraine main power plant
RUSSIA / FSU POLITICS · In Brief · 13 Apr 2024
On April 12 Russian air strikes carried out the attack. The Ukrainian Air Force said it destroyed 58 out of 82 missiles and drones that attacked the plant. 6 of the missiles fired were Kinzhal (''dagger'') which are ultra fast—according to Kyiv. Air defense was unable to take down the Kinzhals. T...
Ukraine passes law to draft more people
RUSSIA / FSU POLITICS · In Brief · 12 Apr 2024
On April 11 the Verkhovna Rada voted for the bill that has been debated since 2023. The objective is to increase the size of the army. The army is struggling because of the major Russian advantage in munitions. There was a clause in the bill to allow soldiers who had served 3 years to leave the a...
ECJ rules against sanctions on 2 Russian billionaires
RUSSIA / FSU POLITICS · In Brief · 11 Apr 2024
On April 10 the European Court of Justice ruled that sanctions on Mikhail Fridman and Petr Aven are unlawful because the European Union did not provide sufficient evidence that they should be sanctioned. They were sanctioned in 2022 only 2 days after the Ukraine War began. The men were also sanct...
US says it is giving captured Iranian arms to Ukraine
RUSSIA / FSU POLITICS · In Brief · 10 Apr 2024
On April 9 the US military made the announcement. The shipments include ammunition and small arms. These Iranian-manufactured weapons were used by Houthi rebels in Yemen. The Yemeni Army captured the weapons in battles against the Houthis. Ukraine is grateful for shipments but small arms inflict ...