Russia & CIS

I was on the War on the Rocks podcast, talking to Ryan Evans about Russian military developments, Russia’s military activities in Ukraine and Syria, and how the U.S. should respond.

You can listen to it here.

Russian President Vladimir Putin assessed the economic situation in Russia as challenging but not critical and called on economic policymakers to preserve the role of the federal budget as the leading instrument of development.

Fitch Ratings senior analyst Charles Seville told the German press that he doesn't see justification for the 'junk' rating Russia was issued by two other ratings agencies, and that the worst of the country's economic troubles have passed.

Four Russian missile vessels from the Black Sea Fleet will hold exercises in the eastern Mediterranean Sea, a source from the Southern Military District said Tuesday.

The Brazilian footballer, who plays for Zenit St. Petersburg, gave an impromptu concert on the city's main thoroughfare after supporters raised more than $20,000 for a children's charity.

Shooting a cannon from mid-air – it’s not something you see every day among the world’s heavy armor. But Russia’s T-90 tank, with its 125mm smoothbore gun, rocked an arms exhibition in Nizhny Tagil in the Ural mountains earlier this month with just such a manoeuvre.

Russian Defense Ministry announced the launch of the Rokot lightweight launch vehicle carrying Rodnik communication satellites from the Plesetsk State Test Cosmodrome.

A new gun produced by the Kalashnikov Concern brought Russia victory in the International Practical Shooting Confederation (IPSC) Shotgun World Championship-2015, the press-service of the company said on Monday.

Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev said that the new railway line is important both for civilian life and trade and cargo transportation.

Since the beginning of the economic crisis, the unemployment rate has not changed much. An economic crisis stipulates for a drop in living standards. This is reflected in major macroeconomic indicators: the decline in GDP, purchasing capacity, inflation, stagflation and other indicators, including unemployment

The large-scale week-long Arctic drills have come to an end with some 50 warships, submarines and other vessels, as well as over 10 aircraft successfully completing all objectives.

This year’s event in Sochi is entitled "Return to Growth. Medium-Term Strategies for Russia." It will take place against the backdrop of a slump in the national currency’s value and new challenges for domestic exporters.

Crimean prosecutor Natalia Poklonskaya known for her role in the Crimean reunification and her engaging media presence has been nominated for a peace prize.

The sophisticated Russian fighter aircraft Su-30SM is rightly believed to be one of the most successful projects of the domestic aviation industry in recent years, according to Russia's Zvezda news network.

The Soviet-made M-55 Geophysica reconnaissance plane has often been compared to the infamous US Lockheed U-2 spy aircraft in terms of technical characteristics; it has undergone several makeovers and may soon be replaced with a drone, the Russian media reported.

An observation flight over Russia will be reportedly performed by a joint mission of Canada and Spain between September 21 and 25.

Some 100 migrants managed to run past the Austrian police and illegaly crossed Austrian-Slovenian border as a result of the Serbian-Hungarian border closure, according to local media.

Chechen Republic Head Ramzan Kadyrov has taken a blunt approach to flushing out pro-ISIL extremist sentiment in his republic, holding direct face-to-face talks with youths suspected of supporting the terror group, Chechen television channel Grozny has reported.

An investigation by Russia's Investigative Committee has led to the arrest of Komi Republic Governor Vyacheslav Gayzer. Gayzer and 18 of his associates, some of them also members of the regional administration, have been charged with organizing and running a criminal gang involved in the theft of state property on a mass scale.