Sniper Rifles and Microchips: Who Enables the Russian War Machine in Ukraine

Western weapons and electronic components continue to surface in Russian military hardware deployed in Ukraine, despite ongoing international efforts to restrict Moscow’s access to advanced technology. Recent reports from both European and Ukrainian investigative sources indicate that key Western-manufactured parts, including microchips and optical systems, have been identified in Russian unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) and other military equipment used in the war.

Palestinian Arabs in the Context of Russia’s Demand for Leadership of the Global South and Conflict with the West

Vladimir Putin’s second presidential term (2004–2008) was marked by Moscow’s obvious desire to regain its status as a global superpower, which had been lost by the Soviet Union as a result of its defeat in the Cold War. The point of official departure from the former policy of open partnership with Western countries and close cooperation with NATO was the so-called 2007 Munich Speech of the Russian President and the invasion of Georgia that followed in August 2008.

BESA Post-Soviet Conflicts Research Digest No. 14 (November 2024)

In November 2024, the PSCRP program at the BESA Center published analytical materials covering three subregions of the post-Soviet area, namely, Central Asia, “the West” (focusing this time on Moldova, Ukraine, and Russia), and the South Caucasus.

Pool of Terror: Iran is Recruiting Operatives From the Former Soviet Union to Target Israelis

Recent events in the UAE and Central Asia show that Iran is again boosting recruitment of individuals from former Soviet republics for various purposes, including terrorist attacks and intelligence-gathering activities. Tehran plans to use these individuals directly against Israeli "targets" this time.

Ukraine at War: Sociological and Political Considerations

In the first decade of independence, Ukraine was quite distinctly divided into a number of regions, which differed greatly from each other in terms of ethno-identification and linguistic composition: Western, Central, Southern and Eastern Ukraine. Outside of Western Ukraine, addressing strangers in Ukrainian by default in both official and everyday communication was not the norm.

Kazakhstan And Brics: Cooperation Without Participation

Kazakhstan refuses to join BRICS, an organization that Russia (and to some extent China) sees as an alternative to the Western-centric world order. Clearly, such a decision inevitably invites retaliatory pressure from Russia. To offset this to some extent, and for a number of other pragmatic reasons, Kazakhstan continues to actively participate in BRICS+ activities.

The Political Nature of Granting Ukraine the Right to Strike Russian Territory

On the night of November 19, a strike targeted the 1046th Logistics Support Center of the Russian Armed Forces near the city of Karachev in the Bryansk region. The Ukrainian Defense Forces (UDF) used American ATACMS ballistic missiles to carry out this strike, according to media reports.

Islamism, Crime and their Social and Political Influence in Russia. Part 2. The Radical Islamist Influence and Power Struggle inside Russian Prisons

Russian prisons have long been battlegrounds for influence among various criminal factions, each striving for control over the prison’s internal economy and hierarchies. Traditionally, the power in Russian penitentiaries has been held by groups following the thieves-in-law ("vor v zakone") code. However, the prison landscape in Russia has been changing.

Victory as a Defeat: On the Results of the Presidential Election Campaign in Moldova

On November 8, the Central Election Commission of Moldova announced the official results of the presidential elections in the Republic of Moldova. With 55% of the votes, Maia Sandu won in the second round, while her opponent Alexandru Stoianoglo gained 44.8%. Despite this result, the election did not become a triumph for the presidential team.

Islamism, Crime and their Social and Political Influence in Russia. Part 1. “Black, Red and Green Prisons in Post-Soviet states”

The Islamist-led uprisings have often been ignited by conflicts over prison conditions and alleged mistreatment by guards, which Islamist leaders have used as rallying points. These leaders, drawing on religious motivations, present their actions as part of a broader “struggle” against an oppressive system. The uprisings have included organized sit-ins, hunger strikes, and, in more severe cases, violent clashes with guards.