Author Archives: ATCz

Short-termism and the long war

One of the reasons why the economic crisis triggered by the war and Western sanctions has not caused bigger problems in Russia is that so far both the population and elites could afford to believe that throwing more resources on … Continue reading

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Agents of Control

Where do Russia’s new appointees in the occupied Eastern Ukrainian territories come from, and what do these appointments tell us about Russia’s designs with the occupied territories?

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Governors: a crash course

Five Russian governors resigned and were replaced on the same day this week. Why did this happen and what does it suggest? An explainer.

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Mobilization, a new statism and the question of time

Eight years into Russia’s war on Ukraine and two months into the present invasion, the perspective of a protracted war and long-term sanctions is increasingly considered on all sides. The invasion has led to significant changes in Russia already, including … Continue reading

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Uncharted territory

Vladimir Putin started a war of subjugation against Ukraine. Ukraine has put up an unexpectedly strong resistance and the West pulled out all the stops from sanctions. A couple of days after the aggression started, it seems that everyone wants … Continue reading

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Completing the vertical

The second part of Russia’s ongoing public administration reform will extend the power vertical further downwards. The bill does not only reflect a trust in the tools of digital authoritarianism, but also the goal of giving the federal center a … Continue reading

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Political QR

The ongoing debate about the introduction of country-wide vaccination passes is turning into a case study of the weaknesses of Russia’s emerging digital authoritarianism and public power in general.

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