Russia Monitor Articles
Russian Airborne Throws Its Weight Around
By the end of this year, the “attack forces” of the Russian Airborne Troops are expected to increase their potential four times. It means that the offensive capabilities of Russia will be reinforced as the airborne forces are supposed to constitute the core of rapid reaction forces.
Diplomacy and Raids
The breakthrough of October and November brought some significant Russian actions on the Syrian front – both military and diplomatic ones.
Putin’s “Praetorian Guard”: ambitions and problems
The National Guard of Russia has been developing as planned, says its chief commander, General Viktor Zolotov. There is more and more money to finance the Guard; its number also seems to increase, there are also new equipment and weapons, but, most importantly, Rosgvardiya is said to get new powers.
Oil, Iraq and the Kurds
Russia signs next oil contracts with Kurdish autonomy in northern Iraq, at the same time maintaining excellent relations with Baghdad. Just after the beginning of Iraqi military operation against the Kurds, Rosneft signed a major contract with the authorities in Erbil.
Volodin In Retreat, Enemies Take the Party
Chairman of the Russia’s State Duma, Vyacheslav Volodin, is gradually losing his importance. Such a claim is strongly evidenced by the resignations of the Kremlin, the exchange of governors, and, most importantly, by the change of the secretary general of the ruling United Russia.
Putin Threatens with Nuclear Triad
Russia has recently conducted annual exercises of its strategic nuclear forces. The drills took place at night, which was a novelty in comparison to their previous editions.
Russia’s Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Resigns
The Russian Deputy Minister of Internal Affairs, Alexander Makhonov, has recently handed in his resignation. The official reason? “Personal responsibility” for the corruption scandal, which had been revealed in the structures that he controlled.
Rosgvardiya will guard the bridge
Russian National Guards will form a naval brigade. Viktor Zolotov, the chief commander of Rosgvardiya, has announced that the task of the newly established unit will be to safeguard the bridge connecting Russia with the Crimea (currently under construction, via Kerch Strait).
Less roubles for the army, in fact means more
Reducing the share of GDP in Russia’s defence spending by 2020 does not mean that budget spending on the military will actually decrease. The budget can be amended during the year, but growing secret spending has to be also taken into account – it is known that the lion’s share is going into power structures.
Same Trick Again
Making comfortable rivals running for president has had a long tradition in Putin’s Russia. This time, a person who is going to stand against Vladimir Putin is Ksenia Sobchak, a socialite and journalist, who has showed her support to the Russian opposition for many years.
Real role of the Kaliningrad Fortress
Recently, some Russian military experts have claimed that the Kaliningrad Oblast was very weak as for its usual military capacities. Such a point of view differs from the Western perception of the Russian exclave. Is Kaliningrad actually doomed to failure? It depends on its tasks assigned by the Russian military strategists.
Libya: Moscow’s diplomatic offensive
Russia is modifying its policy towards Libya. It does not put everything on General Khalifa Haftar anymore, but rather tries to take the position of an arbiter. This can be observed not only by a recent double visit of the representatives of two main rival sides fighting over the control of Libya, but also by the way the meeting was organised and presented later in the media and the political sphere.
Kremlin vs. Foreign Ministry. Conflict or Game?
According to some media, as well as political analysts, the position of Sergei Lavrov is weakening. So far, the head of Russian diplomacy was considered to be one of the major officials responsible for Moscow’s international policy, and, most of all, he enjoyed the confidence of Vladimir Putin.
Donbass Leaks
By 2019, Moscow may cease to subsidise the occupied areas of Donbass, or at least it may change the nature of financial support for so-called separatist people’s republics. Such a news leak on the idea of stopping the “humanitarian aid” may constitute a part of Moscow’s political game as well as an element of the Kremlin’s new strategy on Ukraine.
Warsaw Institute
