More Russians are against the war than they are for it — These days I start my day by reading the report from the Institute for the Study of War(ISW). Twitter has become X and its evolution or devolution depending on which side of the political spectrum you fall in, has become a tad bit too much for my information consumption. Western…

Over and out Colonel General Mikhail Teplinsky — Russia’s 810th Naval Infantry Brigade is a lot of things at once. Actually, ‘was’ a lot of things at once. Not… ‘is.’ The brigade was formed as the 810th Separate Naval Infantry Regiment at Sevastopol in 1967 during the expansion of the Soviet Naval Infantry. The brigade’s primary role is…

Act Now or Risk the Consequences of Delay — “What does sovereignty mean for our state, for each family, and for each person? What is its value and true essence?, Russian President Vladimir Putin asked yesterday at the World Russian People’s Council. Certainly, the answer to that question is known only to him. …

Survive, Deplete and Destroy — Vladimir Putin started the war in winter 2022. He was the only one who knew what he was up to. His over prepared army invaded a nation with unprepared forces. Winter is a double edged sword that can slice both ways, and the second best army in the world was…

Strength is a Deterrent — In a pre-dawn assault, Russia unleashed a massive drone attack on Kyiv, Ukraine’s capital, marking a significant escalation in its use of unmanned aerial vehicles. This attack, unprecedented in scale, involved around 75 explosive-laden drones. They predominantly targeted Ukraine’s most densely populated city, Kyiv. The Ukrainian Air Force reported this…

The decision by the Russian military has certain strategic advantages — Russia is facing a significant challenge in maintaining a steady flow of recruits to its military centers and subsequently to the front lines. Yesterday, the Institute for the Study of War reported that nearly 700 migrants were detained at a warehouse in Moscow, with some receiving conscription notices to join…

Loudening Signals of Economic Distress — The fastest flight between Kaliningrad and Vladivostok takes 12 hours and ten minutes. A domestic flight from the eastern edge to the western edge of Russia would cover an immense distance, as Russia is the largest country in the world by land area, stretching across Eastern Europe and Northern Asia. …

Never underestimate the platforms for collective expression — Nothing illustrates Russian President Vladimir Putin’s strategy better than the events that unfolded in Belarus. Following the dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991, Belarus gained independence. However, unlike some other former Soviet states, Belarus did not significantly diverge from Russia’s political and economic model. Alexander Lukashenko, who has been…

Reforms to deform — I’ve read the interview with German foreign policy expert Sabine Fischer in Der Spiegel way too many times. I promise you, I’ll keep reading it until everything she said is permanently etched in my memory. It’s a treasure trove of information about Russian society. …