Tag Archives: war

On Russia’s upcoming elections and why they matter

Russia will hold regular regional and local elections on September 12-14 . The “single day of voting” – admittedly, the name is a little confusing given that since 2020 elections in many regions have been held over two or three … Continue reading

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On the “new elite” of war participants, AI in governance and others

How seriously should we take Putin’s promises of a “new elite” emerging from the participants of the war in Ukraine, based on the experiences of the past year? Will artificial intelligence solve the problems of regional and local governance in … Continue reading

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On appointments of war participants, the Far East and others

In this dispatch, I would like to dive into two recent developments that highlight that even in today’s Russia, Putin has to operate with certain constraints, such as vested interests or the laws of economics.

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On digital draft notices, the Russian opposition and others

What does the introduction of digital draft notices say about Russia’s emerging digital authoritarianism? And what do and should we – in the West – expect of the Russian opposition? In a look-back on some of the significant developments and … Continue reading

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On regional elections, Far Eastern development and others

Looking back on the past couple of weeks in Russian politics, I summarize what is worth watching as Russia prepares for another set of (likely heavily rigged) regional and local elections in September and what these regions may tell us … Continue reading

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On the government reshuffle

The first substantial changes to the composition of Russia’s broader federal government since February 2022 took place over the weekend. But how substantial were they? Here are a couple of initial thoughts on the (potentially still ongoing) changes, on Belousov, … Continue reading

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On dismissals, recruitment and others

Thoughts on dismissals and arrests in the regions after the presidential election and before this year’s gubernatoropad. What do recruitment efforts by regional authorities tell us about how Russia works today? And some stories from the regions that didn’t make … Continue reading

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