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Russia

"The ONF (All-Russia People’s Front) , in short, is an organization to watch in the coming months. Individuals who do their jobs well and support the party are likely to be chosen for promotion and will give an important indication of the kind of political system Putin is building for the future. "
The Friendlier Face of Putinism
In The News, 7 January 2021 Tags: Russia
Russia’s Port Sudan Naval Base: A Power Play on the Red Sea
Commentary, 7 December 2020
Samuel Ramani
Russia is planning to expand its naval power projection on the Red Sea.
Tags: Russia, Sudan
Russia’s Clandestine Chemical Weapons Programme: The Bellingcat Exposure
Commentary, 3 December 2020
Tom Burge
Findings by the Bellingcat investigative group are a reminder of the power of open source research in enhancing deterrence posture.
Tags: Russia, UK, National Security, Resilience
More Than Meets the Eye: Who Benefits Most from Russia’s Ministerial Rotations?
Commentary, 20 November 2020
Emily Ferris
A Cabinet reshuffle in Russia raises questions about the country’s future trajectory.
Tags: Russia
What Europe Needs on Russia from a Biden Administration
Commentary, 12 November 2020
Neil Melvin
The incoming US administration will have to articulate a new policy towards Russia. This will benefit the entire transatlantic community.
Tags: International Security Studies, United States, US Defence Policy, Russia
Missiles, Vessels and Active Defence: What Potential Threat Do the Russian Armed Forces Represent?
RUSI Journal, 5 November 2020
Maren Garberg Bredesen and Karsten Friis
Russia's strategy is increasingly focusing on its naval capabilities.
Tags: Russia, Maritime ForcesPages

Russia’s Port Sudan Naval Base: A Power Play on the Red Sea
Commentary, 7 December 2020Samuel Ramani
Russia is planning to expand its naval power projection on the Red Sea.
Russia, Sudan
Russia’s Clandestine Chemical Weapons Programme: The Bellingcat Exposure
Commentary, 3 December 2020Tom Burge
Findings by the Bellingcat investigative group are a reminder of the power of open source research in enhancing deterrence posture.
Russia, UK, National Security, Resilience
More Than Meets the Eye: Who Benefits Most from Russia’s Ministerial Rotations?
Commentary, 20 November 2020Emily Ferris
A Cabinet reshuffle in Russia raises questions about the country’s future trajectory.
Russia
What Europe Needs on Russia from a Biden Administration
Commentary, 12 November 2020Neil Melvin
The incoming US administration will have to articulate a new policy towards Russia. This will benefit the entire transatlantic community.
International Security Studies, United States, US Defence Policy, Russia
The Nagorno-Karabakh Conflict and the Challenge for Georgia
Commentary, 29 October 2020Natia Seskuria
The recent escalation of the conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan has once again shown that a frozen conflict can reach its melting point rapidly.
Russia, GeorgiaPages

Russian and Chinese Air Defences
Multimedia, 1 May 2020Justin Bronk, Research Fellow at RUSI outlines the current state of Russian and Chinese air defence capabilities.
Tags: Adversarial Studies, Aerospace, Military Sciences, Profession of Arms, Russia, UK, Technology
Russian and Chinese Assistance in the Coronavirus Crisis
Multimedia, 3 April 2020Russia and China are giving assistance to Italy during the Coronavirus pandemic. Should NATO be worried?
Tags: China, Coronavirus, Military Sciences, Modern Deterrence, Russia
Dr Aniseh Bassiri Tabrizi on the Iran Nuclear Deal
Multimedia, 18 June 2019Dr Aniseh Bassiri Tabrizi talks to BBC News about the Iran Nuclear Deal. One year after the U.S. withdrew from the Iran Deal, Iran is looking to scale back its commitment.
Tags: International Security Studies, United States, Iran, Americas, Germany, Russia, France, UK, Europe, Middle East and North Africa
The US-Russia Nuclear Treaty Under Threat
Multimedia, 21 October 2018After reports that the USA may with from the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty, Professor Malcolm Chalmers, Deputy Director General of the Royal United Services Institute speaks to BBC news...
Tags: Proliferation and Nuclear Policy, United States, Russia, Proliferation and Nuclear Policy
US Sanctions on Russia
Multimedia, 10 August 2018Emily Ferris, RUSI Research Fellow, on the new US sanctions on Russia and what the Russian response might look like.
Tags: International Security Studies, United States, RussiaPages

Missiles, Vessels and Active Defence: What Potential Threat Do the Russian Armed Forces Represent?
RUSI Journal, 5 November 2020Maren Garberg Bredesen and Karsten Friis
Russia's strategy is increasingly focusing on its naval capabilities.
RUSI Journal, Russia, Maritime Forces
Russian and Chinese Combat Air Trends: Current Capabilities and Future Threat Outlook
Whitehall Reports, 30 October 2020Justin Bronk
This Whitehall Report examines Russian and Chinese combat air trends, and looks specifically at fast jets and their weapons systems and capabilities.
Aerospace, China, Military Sciences, Whitehall Reports, Russia
Problems of Geography: Military and Economic Transport Logistics in Russia’s Far East
Occasional Papers, 12 October 2020Emily Ferris
This Occasional Paper examines transport and logistical inadequacies in Russia's Far East and assesses the implications for the country's economy and security.
International Security Studies, Occasional Papers, Russia
Are the Baltics Really Undefendable?
RUSI Newsbrief, 9 October 2020Sandor Fabian
This article proposes that ‘professional irregular’ forces would provide the Baltics with the best defence against Russian aggression.
NATO, RUSI Newsbrief, Russia, Defence Policy, Europe
United Russia’s Image Problem: Revamping the ‘Nasty Party’ Before 2021
RUSI Newsbrief, 2 October 2020Emily Ferris
Russia’s September regional elections were a litmus test of United Russia’s support. While most seats were secure, it seems likely the party is headed for a ‘rebrand’, ahead of the State Duma...
International Security Studies, RUSI Newsbrief, RussiaPages

Breaking the Ice – Russia and the West in 2019
Events, 9 January 2019Our next Under 35's Forum event will be a round table briefing followed by discussion led by RUSI's Russia and Eurasia Research Fellow, Emily Ferris
United States, Russia, UK
Transatlantic Traumas: A discussion with Professor Stanley R. Sloan on the future of the West
Events, 16 April 2018Professor Stanley R. Sloan will discuss his latest book, Transatlantic traumas: Has illiberalism brought the West to the brink of collapse?, which examines the external threats and internal...
RUSI International, United States, Americas, Russia, UK, Global Security Issues
Understanding the Cyber Threat Landscape
Events, 9 February 2017This RUSI Under 35 Forum event explored the geopolitics of cyber attacks, with speakers including Taavi Rõivas, former Prime Minister of Estonia
Cyber, Russia, Technology
Security Risks and Challenges: A View from Bulgaria
Events, 24 October 2016The Minister of Foreign Affairs of Bulgaria, H.E. Mr Daniel Mitov, will give a speech on the challenges facing the south-eastern flank of NATO and the EU.
Turkey, Russia, Europe
How Not to Become a Spy: In Conversation with Justin Lifflander
Events, 13 May 2016Justin Lifflander, former weapons inspector during the Cold War, will share his experience working in the former Soviet Union and provide his perspective on current Russia-U.S. relations.
International Security Studies, Russia, Proliferation and Nuclear PolicyPages

"The ONF (All-Russia People’s Front) , in short, is an organization to watch in the coming months. Individuals who do their jobs well and support the party are likely to be chosen for promotion and will give an important indication of the kind of political system Putin is building for the future."
The Friendlier Face of Putinism
In The News, 7 January 2021 Tags: Russia
"Russia’s approach to the Baltic states is occasionally framed as an imminent territorial takeover. This view has become salient since Russia’s annexation of Crimea in 2014, when other nearby countries became concerned that they may be in Russia’s sights. In fact, Russia is unlikely to be interested in a territorial incursion in the Baltics, not least because this would trigger NATO’s Article 5, its collective defense principle, and because Russia would be unlikely to win in a conflict against NATO allies."
Unplugging the Baltic States: Why Russia’s Economic Approach May Be Shifting
In The News, 1 July 2020 Tags: International Security Studies, Russia, Europe
"Putin's determination to avoid taking the blame for any missteps dealing with the virus and his use of local leaders as human shields has not, though, gone unnoticed by his constituents. A recent independent poll found that trust in Putin fell by 10 percentage points between January and May, to 25%, the lowest in years. At the same time, more respondents felt that governors or mayors were doing a good job than those who said the central government was. "
Putin is failing to deal with the coronavirus outbreak, and Russians know it
In The News, 10 June 2020 Tags: Russia
"The response by Belarus’s two main Orthodox denominations to the coronavirus outbreak has been uncoordinated, inconsistent, and slow, attracting increased scrutiny."
Conspiracies and Communion
In The News, 27 May 2020 Tags: International Security Studies, Russia, Europe
"“Despite having created a highly centralized political system, he is not going to be the commander-in-chief of this war. Instead, he would rather force local leaders to take the tough decisions, demanding they both save lives and save the economy, while sniping at them from the sidelines,” according to Mark Galeotti, an analyst at Britain's Royal United Services Institute (RUSI), and a columnist for the Moscow Times. “He is retaining real power, but handing his boyars the burden of coronavirus,” he adds. "
In Russia, Rumblings of Discontent Grow as Oligarchs Move to Plug Gaps
In The News, 15 May 2020 Tags: Coronavirus, Russia
Underwater Drone Incidents Point to China’s Expanding Intelligence Gathering
The UK Should Align with Biden in the Indo-Pacific
The UK and Afghanistan: Raising Our Voice