How Russia’s Military Operation Has Impacted Ordinary Citizens, According to a New Survey
The findings reveal a nation facing economic strain, emotional toll, and shifting views—while many feel unaffected.
And a whole world in BRIEFLY.
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Russian Railways Faces Mounting Debt Amid Suspicions of Engineered Financial Crisis
Amid a new multi-billion-ruble bond issue, analysts suspect Russian Railways’ deepening financial troubles may be part of a calculated strategy to trigger a covert ownership change.
Russia’s Unmanned Systems Troops: Grand Plans, Slipping Deadlines
The effort to establish a dedicated Unmanned Systems branch within Russia’s Armed Forces is sputtering. The deadline Defense Minister Andrei Belousov set for standing up an independent service by the third quarter of 2025 now appears likely to slip.
Russia’s Foreign Agent Law Loses Legitimacy Inside the System
Criticism of Russia’s “foreign agents” law is growing not only in society but also within the country’s elites: the instrument of repression is losing legitimacy, being applied ever more arbitrarily, and increasingly used in political and intra-elite conflicts.
Russian Central Bank’s Court Battle With Euroclear Could Help Plug the 2026 Budget Deficit
It is reasonable to assume that the Moscow court will support the Central Bank’s argument that it has suffered losses equivalent to the full amount of its frozen reserves.
Economic Anxiety and Electoral Strategy: How Russian Parties Are Reading the Road to the State Duma Elections
An analysis of how economic stagnation and falling living standards could shape Russia’s State Duma elections, comparing the KPRF’s protest strategy with the LDPR’s politics of “care.”
Russia’s Sports Officiating Crisis: From Football to the KHL
Not long ago — on November 19 — Russian President Vladimir Putin publicly drew attention to the poor quality of officiating in Russian football.
Are Welders and Seamstresses Really Russia’s “Professions of the Future”?
A skeptical look at Deputy Prime Minister Golikova’s statement
Belarus Confirms Deployment of Russian “Oreshnik” Missile System
A new strategic threat looms over Europe
Russia Launches Major Reform of Local Self-Government to Create a Unified System of Urban Agglomerations
Russia is reforming local governance to build a single-tier system centered on major urban agglomerations, concentrating resources while sidelining small towns.
How the Kremlin Rewrote Russia’s Past: The Politics Behind Unity Day
Russia’s Unity Day replaced the legacy of the October Revolution with a nationalist narrative — a symbol of the Kremlin’s evolving ideology.
Lavrov Under Fire: How Russia’s Top Diplomat Ended Up at the Center of the Putin–Trump Summit Fallout
After being blamed for derailing the Putin–Trump summit, Lavrov faces waning influence and mounting Kremlin intrigue.
Russia Faces a Deepening Crisis in Its Patrol Police: Staff Shortages, Rising Workload, and Growing Threats to Public Safety
Russia’s once-overstaffed police force is now facing an unprecedented personnel crisis. Amid the war in Ukraine, tens of thousands of patrol officers have left for the army or defense industry, leaving regions understaffed, crime rates rising, and public trust in law enforcement eroding.
